# Environment Variables

This section describes several environment variables that affect how `hsc` operates.

HOME
  If this variable is set, its content will be interpreted as path to the user's home directory. When looking for hsc.prefs, a lib/hsc.prefs will be added to this value, and before this also a directory separator (e.g. a slash (```/`'')), if necessary.
HSCPATH
  This variable specifies the directory where hsc.prefs (see also Syntax Definition) is located.
  Example: After a

          export HSCPATH=/some/dir/hsc

  `hsc` will look for /some/dir/hsc/hsc.prefs.
HSCSALARY
  Within several messages, `hsc` refers to the user as a ``jerk''. This happens if you are using features which are only supported by some special browsers. Some people say they are forced by their employer to use those features, and therefore feel insulted by `hsc`.
  As a solution, you can store the amount of your monthly payment in this variable:

          export HSCSALARY=1000

  After this, `hsc` will stop calling you a ``jerk''. Instead, it will now use the term ``prostitute''.
http_proxy
ftp_proxy
gopher_proxy
  These variables specify the address of a proxy if you want to use one for external URI checking. It is definitely a good idea to do so, because otherwise FTP and Gopher URIs cannot be checked at all, and also because it reduces network load and can considerably speed up the checking process if the proxy is allowed to cache responses. Note the lowercase variable names—at least on Unixoid OSs case is significant!
  The syntax for these variables is compatible with the Lynx webbrowser: the must specify a full URI starting in http://, followed by a hostname, optionally followed by a colon and a port, plus an optional final slash. E.g.
  `ftp_proxy=http://my.proxy.org:8080/` (Bourne-Shell), or
  `setenv ftp_proxy http://192.168.1.42` (AmigaShell).