[comp.unix.wizards] Environment variables

louis@aerospace.aero.org (Louis M. McDonald) (09/14/89)

I would like to have a program permanently set environment variables.
I guess I thought putenv would do it, but seem to be wrong. After the 
program completes, the enviroment variables are the same (if already exist)
or do not exist (if new).

Basically, I would like to have something that does not require me to
have a user `source' a file to get the environment variables I want defined
for his/her session.

Louis McDonald
-- 
Louis McDonald
The Aerospace Corporation
louis@aerospace.aero.org

cpcahil@virtech.UUCP (Conor P. Cahill) (09/15/89)

In article <57732@aerospace.AERO.ORG>, louis@aerospace.aero.org (Louis M. McDonald) writes:
> Basically, I would like to have something that does not require me to
> have a user `source' a file to get the environment variables I want defined
> for his/her session.

If you are using the [c|k|ba]sh, you can create an alias which sources the
shell that sets the environment vars you want.  The standard shell and Ksh (
not sure about bash) also allows the use of shell functions which will have
the effect you want.

For ex:		Under the ksh:

		alias use_this_environ=". $HOME/envvars"
	
		or

		use_this_environ()
		{
			new_var=....
		}

BTW, even within the same program putenv() will not correctly work unless
you use non-automatic data for the environment strings that you are adding.

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