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Mattscreative edited this page Dec 5, 2025 · 2 revisions

Arch Linux Environment Variables Guide

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

Table of Contents

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

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

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

PATH Configuration

Add to PATH

Add directory:

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

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

Check PATH

View PATH:

# Show PATH
echo $PATH

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

Common Variables

Language

Set language:

# Set locale
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8
export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8

Editor

Set editor:

# Set default editor
export EDITOR=vim
export VISUAL=vim

Java

Set JAVA_HOME:

# Set Java home
export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk
export PATH=$PATH:$JAVA_HOME/bin

Troubleshooting

Variable Not Set

Check configuration:

# Check if set
echo $VARIABLE_NAME

# Reload shell config
source ~/.bashrc

Summary

This guide covered environment variables, PATH, common variables, and troubleshooting.

Next Steps

This guide is based on the ArchWiki. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official ArchWiki.

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