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Asked: 2024-09-24T18:01:37+05:30 In:

How can I set a variable’s value in the terminal on Ubuntu?

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around how to set a variable’s value in the terminal on my Ubuntu machine, and I feel like I’m going in circles. I just need a simple explanation, but every time I look something up, I find a bunch of technical jargon that makes my brain hurt.

So, here’s the scenario: I’m working on a small project and want to store some values in variables to use later on in my shell script. I heard that it’s super easy, but the last time I tried it, I ended up with an error message that just said something like “command not found,” and I couldn’t even figure out what I did wrong.

Honestly, I just want to set a variable that holds a value, like my favorite color or maybe a path to a folder. Like, if I wanted to set a variable called MY_COLOR to “blue,” how would I do that? I saw something about using the `export` command, but I’m not sure when to use it or if it’s even necessary for what I want to do. Do I just type `MY_COLOR=blue` and hope for the best? How will I be able to check if it’s set correctly?

And what about using it later in my script? Can I just call it like `$MY_COLOR`, or do I need to do something different? Also, should I be worried about case sensitivity? Like, can I set `my_color` and `MY_COLOR` as separate variables, or will that mess things up?

I’ve read a little about environment variables too, and it sounds like there’s a distinction between those and regular variables, which has me a bit confused. If someone could just break this down for me like I’m a total newbie, that would be amazing! I really want to nail this part of my project, but I need some guidance to get there. So, how do I set a variable in the terminal on Ubuntu, and what do I need to know to make sure I’m doing it right? Any help would be really appreciated!

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    1. Setting Variables in Ubuntu Terminal


      How to Set Variables in Ubuntu Terminal

      Setting a variable in your Ubuntu terminal is pretty straightforward, so don’t worry! Here’s how you can do it:

      Setting a Variable

      If you want to set a variable called MY_COLOR to “blue,” just type:

      MY_COLOR=blue

      When you do this, there are a couple of important things to remember:

      • Don’t put any spaces around the = sign. If you write MY_COLOR = blue, it won’t work!
      • This variable is temporary. It will only last as long as your terminal session is open.

      Using the Variable

      To use this variable later in your terminal or script, you just need to call it with a dollar sign. Like this:

      echo $MY_COLOR

      This will output blue to the terminal.

      Checking If It’s Set

      You can check if your variable is set correctly by echoing it out like we just did:

      echo $MY_COLOR

      If it just shows a blank line, then the variable isn’t set!

      When to Use export

      Now about export: If you want your variable to be available in other scripts or programs that you run from the same terminal session, you should use:

      export MY_COLOR=blue

      This makes it an environment variable which other programs can access.

      Case Sensitivity

      Yes, variable names are case sensitive! So MY_COLOR and my_color would be treated as two different variables. Just be consistent with your naming.

      In Summary

      • To set a variable: MY_COLOR=blue
      • To use the variable: echo $MY_COLOR
      • To make it available to other programs: export MY_COLOR=blue
      • Names are case sensitive!

      And that’s it! Now you should be ready to use variables in your scripts. Good luck with your project!



    2. Setting a variable in the terminal on Ubuntu is quite straightforward. To assign a value to a variable, you simply type it directly in the terminal. For example, if you want to set a variable called `MY_COLOR` to “blue”, you would type: MY_COLOR=blue. It’s important to note that there should be no spaces around the equals sign. If you want to make this variable accessible in child processes (like when running a script), you can use the export command: export MY_COLOR=blue. You can check if the variable is set correctly by typing echo $MY_COLOR, which should output “blue”. Remember that variable names are case-sensitive, so `MY_COLOR` and `my_color` are considered different variables.

      When using your variable later in your script or terminal, simply prefix it with a dollar sign: $MY_COLOR. Actionable variables can be straightforward; just use them wherever you need the value. As for environment variables, they are variables that are exported to the environment, making them available to any subprocesses started from the terminal. Regular variables are confined to the current shell session unless exported. If you’re just starting out, it’s perfectly fine to focus on regular variables first and only move on to environment variables when you have a clearer understanding of how the shell works.


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