Linux Environment Variables Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to environment variables on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including setting variables, PATH configuration, and environment management.

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Table of Contents

1. Understanding Environment Variables
2. Setting Variables
3. PATH Configuration
4. Common Variables
5. Troubleshooting

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Understanding Environment Variables

What are Environment Variables?

Environment variables store system configuration.

Common variables:

• PATH: Command search path
• HOME: User home directory
• SHELL: Default shell
• LANG: Language setting
• EDITOR: Default editor

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Setting Variables

Temporary Setting

Set for session:

# Set variable
export VARIABLE_NAME=value

# Check
echo $VARIABLE_NAME

Permanent Setting

Set in shell config:

# Bash
vim ~/.bashrc
export VARIABLE_NAME=value

# Zsh
vim ~/.zshrc
export VARIABLE_NAME=value

System-wide

Set for all users:

# Edit profile
sudo vim /etc/profile

# Or environment
sudo vim /etc/environment

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PATH Configuration

Add to PATH

Add directory:

# Add to PATH
export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/directory

# Make permanent
echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/directory' >> ~/.bashrc

Check PATH

View PATH:

# View PATH
echo $PATH

# List directories
echo $PATH | tr ':' '\n'

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Common Variables

Editor

Set editor:

# Set editor
export EDITOR=vim

# Or nano
export EDITOR=nano

Language

Set language:

# Set language
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

# Set locale
export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8

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Troubleshooting

Variable Not Set

Check variable:

# Check variable
echo $VARIABLE_NAME

# Check all variables
env

# Check in config
cat ~/.bashrc | grep VARIABLE_NAME

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Summary

This guide covered environment variables for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions, including setting, PATH, and common variables.

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Next Steps

• Shell Configuration - Shell setup
• Locale and Language - Locale setup
• System Configuration - System setup
• ArchWiki Environment Variables: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Environment_variables

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.