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I've noticed that the default path for root on my of my vm's and servers do not include /usr/local/bin
sudo -s
echo $PATH
/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
Whereas normal users on the server do have /usr/local/bin
/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/home/sowen/bin
Why would root not need /usr/local in the path?
Where is the default path for a user defined?
Because it isn't set up in the relevant shell startup files for root.
Traditionally, /usr/local has been used for unofficial, locally installed software (often to override buggy/broken/limited "official" versions; a friend quipped that the first step when a new Sun arrived was GNU > /usr/local). As root is all-powerful, any mistake or misdesign in the programs it runs can be fatal. It stands to reason that running e.g. a local, experimental version of make by root should be treated with caution. Better have it go the extra step of giving an explicit path.
/usr/local/sbinand/usr/local/binon root's default path, but there are exceptions./usr/local/binand one without). And the one with/usr/local/bin, I couldn't find where it was being set.