you <em>should</em>  modify the environment configuration,
as advised below.
</li></ul>
-<p>If the preceding check indicates that
+<p>Additionally,
+a number of MinGW applications — any comtemporary
+version of the GNU Debugger being a notable example — may
+require a definition of the <code>HOME</code> environment variable.
+Typically,
+<code>Unix</code> systems define this,
+to represent the path name of the current user’s
+default working directory,
+but MS‑Windows uses the <code>USERPROFILE</code> variable
+for this purpose,
+so <code>HOME</code> is not normally defined.
+</p>
+<p>To check whether the <code>HOME</code> variable is defined,
+or not:–
+</p>
+<ul><li>Run the command:
+<pre class="vt box-out">
+C:\Users\me> <kbd>echo %HOME%</kbd>
+</pre>
+in a <code>Command</code> <code>Prompt</code> console window;
+if <code>HOME</code> has been suitably configured,
+this should produce output similar to:
+<pre class="vt box-out">
+C:\Users\me> <kbd>echo %HOME%</kbd>
+C:\Users\me
+</pre>
+but it is more likely to produce no output at all,
+in which case you should consider adding a <code>HOME</code> variable
+definition to your environment variables configuration.
+</li></ul>
+<p>If the preceding checks indicate that
the <code>PATH</code> configuration needs to be adjusted,
+or that the <code>HOME</code> variable has not been defined,
then you should proceed as follows:–
</p><ul>
<li>From the system <span class="nowrap">
with prefix substitution as required,
as its value.
</li>
+<li>Similarly, to add a definition for the <code>HOME</code> variable,
+click the <code>New</code> button, and create the requisite entry;
+it should be given a suitable value, which typically, could be to
+inherit the value of the <code>USERPROFILE</code> variable.
+</li>
<li>Click the <code>OK</code> button on each nested dialogue box,
as you walk focus back to the top level of the <span class="nowrap">
<code>Control</code> <code>Panel</code></span>,
or any similar alternative name of your own choice.
<li>Set the <code>Target</code> of your new “shortcut” to:
<pre class="vt box-out">
-<kbd>%comspec% /k path %PATH%;C:\MinGW\bin</kbd>
+<kbd>%comspec% /c path %PATH%;C:\MinGW\bin&set HOME=%USERPROFILE%&%comspec%</kbd>
</pre>
(with substitution for <code>C:\MinGW</code>, as appropriate,
if you chose an alternative prefix at installation time).
Alternatively, create a new MS‑Windows batch file,
(called <span class="nowrap"><code>C:\MinGW\mingw.bat</code>,</span>
-for example), within which the:
+for example), with content similar to:
<pre class="vt box-out">
+<kbd>set HOME=%USERPROFILE%</kbd>
<kbd>path %PATH%;C:\MinGW\bin</kbd>
+<kbd>%comspec%</kbd>
</pre>
-<code>PATH</code> augmentation command is executed,
and set the “shortcut” <code>Target</code> to:
<pre class="vt box-out">
-<kbd>%comspec% /k C:\MinGW\mingw.bat</kbd>
+<kbd>%comspec% /c C:\MinGW\mingw.bat</kbd>
</pre>
(This latter alternative offers greater flexibility than the former,
insofar as the batch file may be modified to accommodate configuration
-options beyond the minimally required <code>PATH</code> augmentation).
+options beyond the minimally required <code>PATH</code> augmentation,
+and the recommended <code>HOME</code> variable assignment).
</li>
<li>Access the properties of the new “shortcut”,
and set the start‑up directory path name, within the