Linux/Environment Variables

Basics

• List all environment variables

env
printenv

• get variable

echo $USER
printenv USER

• set variable

VARIABLE='Hello world'
echo $VARIABLE

• promote a shell variable to an environment variable

export VARIABLE='Hello world'

• variable lists

export VARIABLE='Hello world':'test'    # variable with two elements

export VARIABLE=$VARIABLE:'test2'       # add another element

• remove variable

unset VARIABLE