Setting Unix User Envirment Variables

[Rizwan Choudhry]

Hi,
I need to setup following user enviroemnt variable.

SHLIB_PATH=/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

Do i use set command
or Export command
Whats is the difference between SET and Export?

Also what would be correct command syntax

set SHLIB_PATH=/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

export SHLIB_PATH /usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

Thanks in Advance

[Yogeeraj_1]

hi Rizwan,

SET is used in the Windows environment to set Environment variables whereas EXPORT is used in the Unix Environment.

For more information, please see "man set" and "man export"



hope this helps!
kind regards
yogeeraj

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

set makes the variable available for this command session.

export makes it available for child processes as well.

I generally set and export the variable to make sure its available, though there are exceptions, depending on the application to be run.

SEP

[VK2COT]

Hello,

Both your answers are correct!

Here is the difference and why you need
to use one or the other:

It all depends on the Shell you use.
For Shells like Ksh, Bash, Posix Shells,
and classical Sh, you would use:

export SHLIB_PATH /usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

For Cshell, you would use:

setenv SHLIB_PATH=/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

Cheers,

VK2COT

[Yogeeraj_1]

>Also what would be correct command syntax

$ set SHLIB_PATH=/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib
$ echo $SHLIB_PATH
sh: SHLIB_PATH: Parameter not set.
$ export SHLIB_PATH /usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib
sh: /usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib: This is not an identifier.
$ export SHLIB_PATH=/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib
$ echo $SHLIB_PATH
/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib
$


kind regards
yogeeraj

[Jeeshan]

if you need to setup environment variable permanently set it to the .profile

SHLIB_PATH=/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

export SHLIB_PATH

[Dennis Handly · Accepted solution]

>Do i use set command or export command? What's is the difference between set and export?

As mentioned by Dusan, it depends on which shell you use. If you use a real shell you use export. If you use the scummy csh, you use setenv.

The set command in a real shell only works on arrays. For the scummy csh, it doesn't export the variable.

>yogeeraj: For more information, please see "man set" and "man export"

You'll need to look at ksh(1), posix-sh(1) or csh(1) for the individual commands.

>Dusan: For shells like ksh, bash, Posix Shells
>export SHLIB_PATH path1:path2
>For cshell, you would use:
>setenv SHLIB_PATH=path1:path2

The syntax is backwards, export needs the "=".

>ahsan: if you need to setup environment variable permanently set it to the .profile

Unless you use this user to only run a particular set of apps that only need this SHLIB_PATH, I would only export SHLIB_PATH/LD_LIBRARY_PATH in the script that invokes each application.

[Rizwan Choudhry]

Thanks All for your help,
Information provided has been very usefull.

[VK2COT]

Hello,

Thanks to Dennis for the correction.
My fast typing again.

I am actually the fastest two-finger
typing person on the east coast of
Australia :) Not always the most
precise one though :)

The correct syntax (as we all know):

For BASH, Ksh, Posix Shells:
export SHLIB_PATH=/usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

For Cshell:

setenv SHLIB_PATH /usr/sap/D06/SYS/exe/run:/oracle/D06/920_64/lib

Sadly, even after 23 years in Unix,
I cannot use all fingers when typing...

VK2COT