2

We can export variables from the command line with set -x, but I'd like to know how to do this from within a file. The reason is that I'm organizing my $HOME directory according to the XDG convention, and the Arch wiki says this about zsh:

Consider exporting ZDOTDIR=$HOME/.config/zsh in ~/.zshenv. You could also add this to /etc/zsh/zshenv.

I want to effect an export from /etc/zsh/zshenv to avoid cluttering my $HOME. Can I simply input the Fish Shell command set -x from within this file or is there an alternative?

Thanks

Improve this question
12
  • 2
    why would the fish shell read your /etc/zsh/zshenv? fish is not zsh! Commented Dec 6, 2021 at 16:01
  • I want to prevent the dot file from being created in my home directory. I don't have zsh, but Cargo is creating ~/.zshenv. I was hoping to prevent that. Commented Dec 6, 2021 at 16:15
  • what does Cargo have to do with fish? and what with zsh? Really confused now! Commented Dec 6, 2021 at 16:17
  • Fish is my shell. So I use it to manage my system's environment variables. If I'm told to modify an environment variable, then I think to use my shell to do that. Commented Dec 6, 2021 at 16:19
  • 3
    I must really be missing something. Could you edit your question to explain your full motivation, starting from what you're doing, what causes cargo to create some files you can't have (and why you can't have them), to what environment variables you want to export for which purpose. This all so far has made zero sense to me :( Commented Dec 6, 2021 at 16:25

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
5

Have you read about fish's config files? Configuration files

If you want to set up an environment variable for Cargo, you can:

  • create a universal variable once: set -Ux VARIABLE=value
  • add an entry into $HOME/.config/fish/config.fish: set -gx VARIABLE=VALUE
  • create a file in $HOME/.config/fish/conf.d/, say cargo.fish that contains that set -gx line.

I would avoid adding app-specific env.vars into "global" rc files (e.g. /etc/fish/config.fish) -- keep your own settings in your own configuration files.

Improve this answer
1
  • The correct fish syntax is supposed to be set -Ux VARIABLE value. Commented Nov 18 at 20:33
0

I find the following to be a very practical solution:

  1. append source ~/environment.sh to ~/.bashrc and/or ~/.zshrc and/or ~/.config/fish/config.fish
  2. create ~/environment.sh
  3. place your export variables in ~/environment.sh

Source: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Environment_variables

In my particular case, I am using this to set dark themes in CachyOS with sway DE, it worked out in the end, after wandering for a while.

export GTK_THEME=Adwaita:dark
export QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE=Adwaita-Dark
Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.