NAME
env – environment variables |
SYNOPSIS
bind #e /env /env/var1 /env/var2
|
DESCRIPTION
The env device serves a one–level directory containing files with
arbitrary names and contents. The intention is that the file name
is the name of an environment variable (see rc(1)), and the content
is the variable's current value. When a fork(2) system call creates a new process, both the parent and the child continue to see exactly the same files in the env device: changes made in either process can be noticed by the other. In contrast, an rfork system call with the RFENVG bit set (see fork(2)) causes a split: initially both process groups see the same environment files, but any changes made in one process group cannot be noticed by the other. An rfork with RFCENVG splits and then clears the environment.
The special global environment #ec contains kernel configuration
variables, such as those set in plan9.ini(8). All processes see
the same #ec; its contents are writable only by the host owner.
[XXX actually everything is world writable; that's a mistake.] |
SEE ALSO
rc(1), fork(2), #c/reboot in cons(3), plan9.ini(8) |
SOURCE
/sys/src/9/port/devenv.c |
BUGS
A write starting at an offset after the current extent of a file
yields an error instead of zero filling. |