Ubuntu – How to export env variables as another user

bashcommand lineenvironment-variablesscripts

I'm trying to set an environment variable for a user session before running a script:

su - myUser -c "export myVar=$toto ; sh scriptThatNeedsMyVar.sh"

The scripts fails, I tried to debug and print myVar value:

su - myUser -c "export myVar=$toto ; echo $myVar"

returns nothing, that means that my env variable wasn't created although I'm creating and printing it in the same bash !
Then when I login as myUserand type each command in bash console it works well

$su - myUser
$export myVar=toto
$echo $myVar
toto

I'm I missing something ?
Why is this happening and how can I export a temporary variable as another user ( I'm not allowed to edit bashrc or any other system file)

Best Answer

use env:

su - myUser -c "env myVar=\"$toto\" scriptThatNeedsMyVar.sh"

Assuming, of course, that scriptThatNeedsMyVar.sh is executable, and findable in myUser's PATH, and begins with #!/bin/sh.

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Ubuntu – How to add environment variables

To set variable only for current shell:

VARNAME="my value"

To set it for current shell and all processes started from current shell:

export VARNAME="my value"      # shorter, less portable version

To set it permanently for all future bash sessions add such line to your .bashrc file in your $HOME directory.

To set it permanently, and system wide (all users, all processes) add set variable in /etc/environment:

sudo -H gedit /etc/environment

This file only accepts variable assignments like:

VARNAME="my value"

Do not use the export keyword here.

You need to logout from current user and login again so environment variables changes take place.

Ubuntu – How to the script determine whether it’s being run by bash or dash

You can make the fact that $BASH_VERSION is blank in dash work for you:

if [ "$BASH_VERSION" = '' ]; then
    echo "This is dash."
else
    echo "This is bash."
fi

Best Answer

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Ubuntu – How to add environment variables

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