Yes, I did source ~/.bashrc to no avail.

I also did a little digging and found that editing the file /etc/environment 
is suggested in Ubuntu.  I did so and then 

source /etc/environment

then 

echo $OPCODEDIR 

and was returned the correct path name.
However running csound I STILL received the same error! Apparently the shell 
now knows but csound still does not.

environment:
PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games"
LANG="en_US.UTF-8"
OPCODEDIR="/usr/local/lib/csound/plugins"
CSSTRNGS="/usr/local/share/csound/xmg"

.bashrc:

# ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells.
# see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
# for examples

# If not running interactively, don't do anything
[ -z "$PS1" ] && return

# don't put duplicate lines in the history. See bash(1) for more options
export HISTCONTROL=ignoredups
# ... and ignore same sucessive entries.
export HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth

# check the window size after each command and, if necessary,
# update the values of LINES and COLUMNS.
shopt -s checkwinsize

# make less more friendly for non-text input files, see lesspipe(1)
[ -x /usr/bin/lesspipe ] && eval "$(lesspipe)"

# set variable identifying the chroot you work in (used in the prompt below)
if [ -z "$debian_chroot" ] && [ -r /etc/debian_chroot ]; then
    debian_chroot=$(cat /etc/debian_chroot)
fi

# set a fancy prompt (non-color, unless we know we "want" color)
case "$TERM" in
xterm-color)
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:
\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '
    ;;
*)
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\$ '
    ;;
esac

# Comment in the above and uncomment this below for a color prompt
#PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:
\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '

# If this is an xterm set the title to user@host:dir
case "$TERM" in
xterm*|rxvt*)
    PROMPT_COMMAND='echo -ne "\033]0;${USER}@${HOSTNAME}: ${PWD/$HOME/~}\007"'
    ;;
*)
    ;;
esac

# Alias definitions.
# You may want to put all your additions into a separate file like
# ~/.bash_aliases, instead of adding them here directly.
# See /usr/share/doc/bash-doc/examples in the bash-doc package.

#if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
#    . ~/.bash_aliases
#fi

# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases
if [ "$TERM" != "dumb" ]; then
    eval "`dircolors -b`"
    alias ls='ls --color=auto'
    #alias dir='ls --color=auto --format=vertical'
    #alias vdir='ls --color=auto --format=long'
fi

# some more ls aliases
#alias ll='ls -l'
#alias la='ls -A'
#alias l='ls -CF'

# enable programmable completion features (you don't need to enable
# this, if it's already enabled in /etc/bash.bashrc and /etc/profile
# sources /etc/bash.bashrc).
if [ -f /etc/bash_completion ]; then
    . /etc/bash_completion
fi

# added for cSound5
set OPCODEDIR='/usr/local/lib/csound/plugins'
set CSSTRNGS='/usr/local/share/csound/xmg'


On Thursday 15 November 2007 8:24:25 pm David Worrall wrote:
> did you do source ~/.bashrc?
>
> ( logging in to a new shell should do it as well)
>
> you are right in assuming these are shell variables not csound
> command-line options (which are placed in the .csoundrc file.
>
> if it still doesn't work, send a copy of the contents of .bashrc
>
> (I'm answering this mainly because I may be the only one awake!)
>
> David
>
> On 16/11/2007, at 12:12 PM, Matt wrote:
> > David,
> > Thanks for the reply but this doesn't seem to be working.
> > I edited .bashrc as suggested.
> > On 'echo $OPCODEDIR' I receive just a blank line.
> >
> > Yes, I am running bash shell.
> >
> > I was reading the cSound manual about this (pg. 63):
> > "You can set environmental variables on the command line or the
> > configuration
> > file .csoundrc by using the flag --env:NAME=VALE.......Please note
> > that this
> > method of setting environmental variables will not work for
> > variables which
> > are parsed before the command line arguments...the following
> > environmental
> > variables must be set on the system prior to running csound:
> > OPCODEDIR..CSSTRINGS..."
> >
> > I assume that's what you were helping me to do, but like I said, still
> > receiving the same error message from cSound5.
> >
> > On Thursday 15 November 2007 7:43:44 pm David Worrall wrote:
> >> Hi Matt, I'm not on Linux but perhaps I can help
> >> I presume you're running a bash shell..
> >> (if csh or other the commands are similar)
> >>
> >> If so, in your home directory find an existing, or create a file
> >> called .bashrc
> >> in it put
> >> set OPCODEDIR='/usr/local/lib/csound/plugins'
> >> set CSSTRNGS='/usr/local/share/csound/xmg'
> >>
> >> save the file and then, at the prompt, type
> >> source ~/.bashrc
> >> (this alerts the current shell to the new stuff)
> >>
> >> if you want to check that the shel 'knows' about its new variables,
> >> at the bash prompt  type
> >> echo $OPCODEDIR
> >> and
> >> echo $CSSTRNGS
> >>
> >> and you see the strings filepaths you've set, above.
> >>
> >> David
> >>
> >> On 16/11/2007, at 11:13 AM, Matt Enkoan wrote:
> >>> I just compiled csound5 in Ubuntu 7.10 as per instructions,
> >>> everything went
> >>> fine, I am just confused about one thing (very basic I think, but I
> >>> am newb
> >>> material)
> >>> After running ./install.py I got the message:
> >>> Csound installation has been successfully completed.
> >>> Before running Csound, make sure that the following environment
> >>> variables are set:
> >>>   OPCODEDIR=/usr/local/lib/csound/plugins
> >>>   CSSTRNGS=/usr/local/share/csound/xmg
> >>> Csound can be uninstalled by running /usr/local/bin/uninstall-
> >>> csound5
> >>>
> >>> and similarly running csound:
> >>>
> >>> ################################################################
> >>>         #               WARNING: OPCODEDIR IS NOT
> >>> SET !                #
> >>>         # Csound requires this environment variable to be set to
> >>> find  #
> >>>         # its plugin libraries. If it is not set, you may
> >>> experience   #
> >>>         # missing opcodes, audio/MIDI drivers, or
> >>> utilities.           #
> >>>
> >>> ################################################################
> >>>
> >>> apparently I need to set some environmental variables.  I think I
> >>> read
> >>> something about the command 'setenv', but that command is not
> >>> available to
> >>> me in terminal.
> >>>
> >>> can someone please explain to me how to do this?
> >>>
> >>> Victor Lazzarini wrote:
> >>>> You will need at least
> >>>>
> >>>> 1. libsndfile (www.mega-nerd.com/libsndfile)
> >>>> 2. scons (www.scons.org)
> >>>>
> >>>> Then you just have to rename ./custom.py.mkg
> >>>> to custom.py and then run
> >>>>
> >>>> scons
> >>>>
> >>>> Csound will then build in the current directory.
> >>>> To install, run ./install.py, with admin permissions.
> >>>>
> >>>> The Csound command will be installed in /usr/bin.
> >>>>
> >>>> Victor
> >>>>
> >>>>> Hi,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I'm not very familiar with compiling from source in
> >>>>> general, and I'm having a hard time finding documentation
> >>>>> on how to build csound in linux or ubuntu. Is there a
> >>>>> step-by-step list somewhere that can (at least somewhat)
> >>>>> painlessly illustrate how to do this for Ubuntu? I've been
> >>>>> attempting this for a while but have yet to get it
> >>>>> working.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Thanks,
> >>>>> Jeremy Flores
> >>>>>
> >>>>> flores1@mit.edu
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> --
> >>>>> Send bugs reports to this list.
> >>>>> To unsubscribe, send email to
> >>>>> csound-unsubscribe@lists.bath.ac.uk
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Send bugs reports to this list.
> >>>> To unsubscribe, send email to csound-unsubscribe@lists.bath.ac.uk
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/compiling-
> >>> csound-5.06-in-ubuntu-tf4178460.html#a13784856
> >>> Sent from the Csound - General mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Send bugs reports to this list.
> >>> To unsubscribe, send email sympa@lists.bath.ac.uk with body
> >>> "unsubscribe csound"
> >>
> >> _________________________________________________
> >> experimental polymedia:	www.avatar.com.au
> >> Sonic Communications Research Group,
> >> University of Canberra:	 creative.canberra.edu.au/scrg/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Send bugs reports to this list.
> >> To unsubscribe, send email sympa@lists.bath.ac.uk with body
> >> "unsubscribe
> >> csound"
> >
> > Send bugs reports to this list.
> > To unsubscribe, send email sympa@lists.bath.ac.uk with body
> > "unsubscribe csound"
>
> _________________________________________________
> experimental polymedia:	www.avatar.com.au
> Sonic Communications Research Group,
> University of Canberra:	 creative.canberra.edu.au/scrg/
>
>
>
>
> Send bugs reports to this list.
> To unsubscribe, send email sympa@lists.bath.ac.uk with body "unsubscribe
> csound"