Environment Variables

Linux

Environment variables are used to pass configuration information to processes. They are a powerful way to configure an manage the behavior of applications and scripts in a Linux environment.

Environment variables can be set, modified and accessed in the shell and are inherited by child processes.

Common Environment Variables

• PATH: Specifies the directories in which the shell looks for executable files.
• HOME: The current user's home directory.
• USER: The name of the current user.
• SHELL: The path to the current user's shell.
• LANG: The current locale and language settings.
• PWD: The current working directory.