I think is necessary to clear something confusing here, knowing for what .bash_profile and .bashrc are in place:
.bash_profile is loaded on login shells (those that you go in loading the system in text-only mode or throught 'ctrl-alt-fx')
.bashrc came in place on non-login shells (such as xterm, konsole etc.)
In my knoppix .bash_profile doesn't exist by default.

Quote Originally Posted by wbatw
Many linux systems will fall back to /etc/bash_profile (note no dot) if it is there, but I don't see one on the image I am using.
Maybe you are talking about /etc/profile.
Both .bashrc and .bash_profile residing in the home directory are strictly user-related. '/etc/profile' instead affect all the system, so what you put in it take effect even on root-user and all other users.