Export environment variables using script

Question

I need to set some environment variables in Ubuntu. I do the following and it works:

export PATH="/home/vagrant/ns-allinone-2.35/bin:/home/vagrant/ns-allinone-2.35/tcl8.5.10/unix:/home/vagrant/ns-allinone-2.35/tk8.5.10/unix:$PATH"
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/home/vagrant/ns-allinone-2.35/otcl-1.14:/home/vagrant/ns-allinone-2.35/lib"
export TCL_LIBRARY="/home/vagrant/ns-allinone-2.35/tcl8.5.10/library"

But I move the same thing in a script envexport.sh and execute it, the environment variables are not getting set.

Where am I going wrong? How to accomplish this?

Thanks.

Karoly Horvath · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-17 23:02:03Z

4

If you just run the script, the environment variables get destroyed when the script finishes.

Use . envexport.sh. That way the commands get executed in the current shell (environment).

answered Feb 17, 2012 at 23:02

Karoly Horvath

96.8k11 gold badges123 silver badges181 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

Eugene S · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-17 23:17:10Z

2

When you run a command in the shell, the shell creates a subprocess (child process). All the environment variables which were defined or changed down in the subprocess will be lost to the parent process.

However if you source a script, you force the script to run in the current process. That means environment variables in the script you ran will not be lost.

answered Feb 17, 2012 at 23:17

Eugene S

6,94810 gold badges62 silver badges93 bronze badges

Comments

lonestar21 · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-17 23:20:06Z

0

One thing that may help is if you will want those variables set for all of your sessions you can place the same commands in your .bashrc file by running the following command and pasting the lines in the file.

vim ~/.bashrc

and the run

source ~/.bashrc

in any terminals you currently are running. If you start any new terminals they will automatically have your directories added to your path.

answered Feb 17, 2012 at 23:20

lonestar21

1,2132 gold badges14 silver badges23 bronze badges

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Export environment variables using script

3 Answers 3

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

3 Answers 3

Comments

Comments

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related