You can use shell variables to store data and configuration options. You have system and user defined shell variable. One can print them as per shell name/version. This page shows how to read and set environmental and shell variables on a Linux or Unix-like systems.
Unix / Linux Print Environment Variables Command
Use the following command to display and print your environment variables at the shell prompt:
[donotprint]
Tutorial details | |
---|---|
Difficulty | Easy (rss) |
Root privileges | No |
Requirements | None |
Time | 1m |
- Sh, Ksh, or Bash shell user type the set command.
- Csh or Tcsh user type the printenv command.
How the environment variables defined
The syntax is as follows on a bash/sh/ksh:
var=value var="this is a test" # you must use quotations when you have white space ver=4.18.5 dest="/backups"
If you are using tcsh/csh shell, try:
set var=value set var="this is a test" set ver=4.18.5 set dest="/backups"
Now you know how to setup the environment for your shell. Let us see how to display the value of environment variable.
Print environment variables on sh/ksh/bash Linux & Unix shell
Open the Terminal and type the following command:
$ set
OR
$ set | more
OR
$ set | grep 'USER'
Sample outputs:
Fig. 01: Bash/SH/KSH: set Command Display Environment Variables and Functions
Print environment variables on csh/tcsh Linux & Unix shell
Open the Terminal and type the following command:
$ printenv
OR
$ printenv | more
OR
$ printenv | grep 'USER'
Sample outputs:
Fig.02: CSH/TCSH shell: printenv Command Display Environment Variables
Tip: Print value of an individual shell variable
To print value of HOME variable use echo command or printf command as follows:
echo "$HOME" echo "$var"
OR
printf "%s\n" "$HOME"
OR
printf "Hi, %s! You are using %s shell\n" "$USER" "$SHELL"
Sample outputs from bash shell on OS X Unix based system:
/Users/vivek Hi, vivek! You are using /bin/bash shell
See bash(1) shell Linux/Unix man page for more information.
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Hi,
thanks
and also env command print the global vriable