Until reading section 3.9.1, it looks like section 3.9 advocates setting all shell variables using setenv / export. Since this is not the case for at least $SHELL and $TERM (and, I presume, $OSTYPE and $MACHTYPE), new users might get unexpected results when trying to change variables. Assuming that the handbook is used as a reference, maybe the information should be re-organized to avoid misunderstandings. Fix: The explanations of the individual shell variables in section 3.9 could be moved into the sections discussing their use (such as 3.10, "Editors", for $EDITOR and 3.9.1, "Changing Your Shell", for $SHELL). Another option would be to add a warning that some variables should not be set using setenv / export, or explicitly point out which commands should be used / link to the relevant documentation.
For bugs matching the following criteria: Status: In Progress Changed: (is less than) 2014-06-01 Reset to default assignee and clear in-progress tags. Mail being skipped
There have been many modifications to FreeBSD Handbook, and section 3.9.1 doesn't exist anymore. I think we can close this report.