How does this work in a multi-user environment? Or if you want to override PATH only in certain contexts (eg. python virtual environment, which overrides python and pip)?
Per-process namespaces which gives each process its own table of mounts and binds. This is how Plan 9 works where you setup the environment with a script or via calls to mount(2) and bind(2). When you log in your profile sets up all your mounts/binds in your root namespace and every process you create thereafter inherits them. Then you change these mounts/binds as needed.
Comments
How does this work in a multi-user environment? Or if you want to override PATH only in certain contexts (eg. python virtual environment, which overrides python and pip)?
Per-process namespaces which gives each process its own table of mounts and binds. This is how Plan 9 works where you setup the environment with a script or via calls to mount(2) and bind(2). When you log in your profile sets up all your mounts/binds in your root namespace and every process you create thereafter inherits them. Then you change these mounts/binds as needed.
Fwiw, this can be imitated on Linux with `unshare` or/and `nsenter`. Another brick to making a poor Plan 9 clone.
It's why I prefer to use Plan 9 where I can and treat Linux as a poor mans Windows.