Why Can't I Set Env Variables By Running A BASH Script From An Npm Script?

Question

I have a nodejs javascript project, but I would like to set a bunch of environment variables locally. created a bash file that just exports some variables:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

export waka=flaka
export fat=booty

When I use the dot to source and run the file from the command line it works fine:

. ./env.sh

And I can see the variable has been set

echo $waka  # prints "flaka"

But then I try to take this command and make it an npm script by adding it to my package.json

scripts: {
  "set-env": ". ./env.sh",
  ...
 }

and then run it:

npm run set-env

The script is run but the environment variables are not saved:

echo $waka  # prints undefined (assuming you didn't already run it from command line)

So, I'm wondering why it doesn't save the envrionment variables as an npm script and if it's possible to run the bash script from an npm script in a way such that the environment variables will be saved for the rest of the command prompt session. Thanks!

chepner · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-03 20:49:22Z

8

npm is not a shell command; it runs in a separate process that forks another shell in order to run the command specified by set-env. env.sh is executed, but then that shell immediately exits, at which point the changes are gone (and then npm itself exits).

answered Jul 3, 2018 at 20:49

chepner

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2 Comments

Jim Over a year ago

thanks, but are you sure it is not possible to have it affect the current shell process?

chepner Over a year ago

Yes; it is a fundamental concept that the environment of a process cannot be modified by one of its children.

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