Variable Types

In Unix-style shells, variables let you store and reuse pieces of information, such as your preferred editor:

EDITOR=vim

the directories where executables are searched:

PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH

or temporary data inside a script:

count=0

You will mainly encounter two related but different concepts:

1. Shell variables
2. Environment variables

The most important distinction is this:

A shell variable belongs only to the current shell. An environment variable is exported so that child processes can inherit it.

Shell Variables

A shell variable exists only inside the current shell process.

Example:

count=5
echo "$count"

Example output:

5

This variable is available to the current shell, but it is not automatically available to programs started from the shell.

For example:

count=5
python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("count"))'

Example output:

None

Why?

Because count is only a shell variable. It has not been exported into the environment.

To make it visible to child processes, you must use export:

export count=5
python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("count"))'

Example output:

5

So:

VAR=value

creates a shell variable.

export VAR=value

creates or updates a shell variable and marks it for inheritance by child processes.

Environment Variables

Environment variables are key-value pairs that a process passes to its child processes. They are commonly used for configuration, such as executable search paths, language settings, home directories, credentials, and feature flags.

Examples include:

PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
HOME=/home/ahmad
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
EDITOR=vim
DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@localhost/db

A process has its own environment. When it starts another process, the child receives a copy of that environment.

That copy is extremely important:

Environment variables flow downward from parent to child. They do not flow upward from child to parent.

Listing Environment Variables

Use printenv to list environment variables visible to the current process:

printenv

Example output:

PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/home/ahmad/bin
HOME=/home/ahmad
LANG=en_US.UTF-8

Each line has this form:

VARIABLE=value

You can also print one variable:

printenv HOME

Example output:

/home/ahmad

Or use shell expansion:

echo "$HOME"

Example output:

/home/ahmad

Shell Variable vs Environment Variable

Consider this example:

name=Ahmad
echo "$name"

Example output:

Ahmad

The shell can see the variable.

But a child process cannot:

name=Ahmad
python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("name"))'

Example output:

None

Now export it:

export name=Ahmad
python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("name"))'

Example output:

Ahmad

So the rule is:

Example of a temporary environment variable for one command:

DATABASE_URL='postgres://localhost/test' python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ["DATABASE_URL"])'

Example output:

postgres://localhost/test

After the command finishes:

echo "$DATABASE_URL"

Example output:

It is empty because DATABASE_URL=value command only applies to that one command invocation.

How Long Do Environment Variables Persist?

Environment variables do not automatically persist forever. Their lifetime depends on where they were defined.

1. Current Terminal Session

If you run:

export API_KEY=abc123

then API_KEY exists in the current shell process and is inherited by child processes started from that shell.

Example:

export API_KEY=abc123
python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("API_KEY"))'

Example output:

abc123

But when you close the terminal, that shell process exits, and the variable disappears.

2. Between Different Terminals

Environment variables do not automatically propagate between separate terminal windows.

Terminal 1:

export PROJECT=backend
echo "$PROJECT"

Example output:

backend

Terminal 2:

echo "$PROJECT"

Example output:

The second terminal does not see it because each terminal starts its own shell process. They are usually siblings or independent descendants of some terminal emulator process, not parent and child of each other.

So:

Terminal 1 variables do not magically appear in Terminal 2.

If you want variables available in every new terminal, put them in a shell startup file such as:

~/.bashrc
~/.zshrc
~/.profile
~/.bash_profile

For example:

echo 'export EDITOR=vim' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Now future interactive Bash sessions that read ~/.bashrc will set EDITOR.

3. Permanent Variables via Startup Files

To persist a variable across new shell sessions, add it to a shell startup file.

For Bash interactive shells:

echo 'export EDITOR=vim' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Then:

echo "$EDITOR"

Example output:

vim

For Zsh:

echo 'export EDITOR=vim' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

For login shells, especially on macOS or server logins, variables may belong in:

~/.profile
~/.bash_profile
~/.zprofile

The exact file depends on shell and login mode.

Parent and Child Processes

Every running program is a process.

Your shell is a process. When you run a command from the shell, that command usually runs as a child process of the shell.

Example:

python3 script.py

Usually means:

shell process
└── python3 process

The shell is the parent. python3 is the child.

The child receives a copy of the parent’s environment.

Concrete Example: Parent Gives Environment to Child

Run this in the shell:

export COLOR=blue
python3 -c 'import os; print("Child sees COLOR =", os.environ.get("COLOR"))'

Example output:

Child sees COLOR = blue

The Python process inherited COLOR from the shell.

Concrete Example: Child Changes Its Own Environment

Now try this:

export COLOR=blue

python3 -c 'import os; os.environ["COLOR"] = "red"; print("Child changed COLOR to", os.environ["COLOR"])'

echo "Parent still has COLOR=$COLOR"

Example output:

Child changed COLOR to red
Parent still has COLOR=blue

The child changed its own copy. The parent shell did not change.

This is one of the most important rules:

A child process cannot modify the environment of its parent process.

The environment is copied downward, not shared upward.

Fork and Exec

When a Unix-style shell runs an external command, it usually uses two important operations:

1. fork()
2. exec()

They do different things.

fork()

fork() creates a new child process.

Conceptually, the child starts as a copy of the parent.

That includes:

• variables in memory
• open file descriptors
• current working directory
• environment variables

Modern systems optimize this with copy-on-write, but conceptually it is a copy.

After fork():

parent shell
├── environment: COLOR=blue
└── child process
    └── environment: COLOR=blue

The child has its own copy. If the child changes COLOR, the parent is not affected.

exec()

exec() does not create a new process.

Instead, it replaces the current process image with another program.

That means the same process ID continues, but the program code changes.

Important:

exec() keeps the environment of the current process unless a different environment is explicitly supplied.

So if a child process has:

COLOR=blue

and then calls exec() to become python3, the new Python program still sees:

COLOR=blue

But that does not mean the parent shell is affected.

Normal Shell Command: fork() + exec()

When you run:

ls

the shell usually does this:

1. shell calls fork()
2. child process is created
3. child calls exec("ls")
4. child becomes ls
5. ls runs
6. ls exits
7. parent shell continues

Process tree:

shell
└── ls

The important point:

The shell itself did not become ls. A child process became ls.

That is why changes made by ls, Python, Node, Ruby, or any other child process do not affect the parent shell environment.

Why “exec Keeps the Same Environment” Can Be Confusing

This sentence is true:

exec() keeps the same environment.

But it means:

The process that calls exec() keeps its own environment while becoming a new program.

It does not mean:

The child can change the parent’s environment.

Example:

export MODE=dev
python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ["MODE"])'

The shell forks a child. The child execs Python. Python sees MODE=dev.

But:

export MODE=dev
python3 -c 'import os; os.environ["MODE"]="prod"; print(os.environ["MODE"])'
echo "$MODE"

Example output:

prod
dev

Python changed its own environment, not the shell’s environment.

Running exec Directly in the Shell

There is a special case.

If you run:

exec python3

then the shell itself is replaced by Python.

There is no new child shell continuing afterward.

Example:

export MODE=dev
exec python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ["MODE"])'

Example output:

dev

After Python exits, your shell is gone. The terminal may close or return to the parent terminal program.

So:

python3

usually means:

shell forks child
child execs python3
parent shell remains

But:

exec python3

means:

shell execs python3
shell is replaced
no original shell remains

Fork vs Exec Summary

Can a Child Process Change the Parent’s Environment?

No.

This does not work:

export TOKEN=old

python3 -c 'import os; os.environ["TOKEN"]="new"'

echo "$TOKEN"

Example output:

old

The Python process changed only itself.

Another example with a shell script:

Create change_token.sh:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
export TOKEN=new
echo "Inside child script: TOKEN=$TOKEN"

Run it:

chmod +x change_token.sh

export TOKEN=old
./change_token.sh
echo "Back in parent shell: TOKEN=$TOKEN"

Example output:

Inside child script: TOKEN=new
Back in parent shell: TOKEN=old

Why?

Because running ./change_token.sh starts a child process.

The child process can change its own environment, but not the parent shell’s environment.

When Can a Script Change the Current Shell?

A script can change your current shell only if you source it.

Sourcing means the file is executed inside the current shell process instead of in a child process.

Create change_token.sh:

export TOKEN=new
echo "Inside sourced script: TOKEN=$TOKEN"

Run it with source:

export TOKEN=old
source ./change_token.sh
echo "Back in same shell: TOKEN=$TOKEN"

Example output:

Inside sourced script: TOKEN=new
Back in same shell: TOKEN=new

The shorthand for source is .:

. ./change_token.sh

So:

This is why tools that modify your shell environment often tell you to use source.

For example:

source venv/bin/activate

A Python virtual environment activation script must modify your current shell’s PATH, so it has to be sourced.

If you ran it as a normal script:

./venv/bin/activate

it would modify only a child process and then exit, leaving your shell unchanged.

Subshells

A subshell is a child shell process.

Parentheses create a subshell:

COLOR=blue

(
  COLOR=red
  echo "Inside subshell: COLOR=$COLOR"
)

echo "Outside subshell: COLOR=$COLOR"

Example output:

Inside subshell: COLOR=red
Outside subshell: COLOR=blue

The assignment inside the subshell does not affect the parent shell.

By contrast, braces run in the current shell:

COLOR=blue

{
  COLOR=red
  echo "Inside block: COLOR=$COLOR"
}

echo "Outside block: COLOR=$COLOR"

Example output:

Inside block: COLOR=red
Outside block: COLOR=red

So:

Remember the required spacing and semicolon with braces:

{ commands; }

not:

{commands}

Builtins vs External Commands

Some commands are shell builtins. They run inside the shell process itself.

Examples:

cd
export
unset
readonly
alias
set
source

These can change the current shell.

For example:

cd /tmp

changes the current shell’s working directory.

If cd were an external child process, it would be useless, because the child would change its directory and then exit, leaving the parent shell unchanged.

External commands, such as:

ls
python3
grep
awk
node
ruby

usually run in child processes.

They inherit environment variables, but cannot modify the parent shell.

Common Environment Variables

HISTSIZE

The number of commands your shell remembers is controlled by HISTSIZE.

echo "$HISTSIZE"

Example output:

1000

Here, the shell keeps the last 1,000 commands in memory.

You can increase it:

export HISTSIZE=2000

If you set it to 0, command history may be disabled for the current session:

export HISTSIZE=0

A related variable is HISTFILESIZE, which controls how many lines are saved to the history file.

Example:

echo "$HISTFILESIZE"

Example output:

2000

HOME

HOME stores your home directory.

echo "$HOME"

Example output:

/home/ahmad

Many commands use this to find user-specific files.

For example:

cp config.json "$HOME/.config/myapp/"

The tilde shortcut also usually expands using the home directory:

cd ~

If HOME points to a nonexistent path, you may see errors in containers, minimal environments, or incorrectly configured users.

PWD

PWD stores the current working directory.

echo "$PWD"

Example output:

/home/ahmad/projects/env_test

The shell updates PWD when you use cd.

Example:

cd /tmp
echo "$PWD"

Example output:

/tmp

If your directory path involves symbolic links, PWD usually shows the logical path.

Example:

pwd

may show:

/home/ahmad/link_to_project

while:

pwd -P

may show the physical path:

/mnt/data/projects/real_project

OLDPWD

OLDPWD stores the previous working directory.

Example:

pwd
cd /tmp
echo "$OLDPWD"

Example output:

/home/ahmad/projects/env_test

You can jump back using:

cd -

Example output:

/home/ahmad/projects/env_test

HOSTNAME

HOSTNAME identifies the current machine.

echo "$HOSTNAME"

Example output:

ahmad-laptop

This is useful in logs and backups:

tar -czf "$(date +%F)-$HOSTNAME-backup.tar.gz" "$HOME/projects"

Example filename:

2026-05-03-ahmad-laptop-backup.tar.gz

In containers or cloud machines, the hostname may be a generated ID.

PATH

PATH is one of the most important environment variables.

It is a colon-separated list of directories where the shell searches for executable commands.

echo "$PATH"

Example output:

/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/home/ahmad/bin

When you type:

python3

the shell searches each directory in PATH from left to right.

You can see which executable is found:

which python3

Example output:

/usr/bin/python3

or:

command -v python3

Example output:

/usr/bin/python3

To append a directory:

export PATH="$PATH:/opt/tools/bin"

To make your custom scripts override system binaries, prepend the directory:

export PATH="$HOME/custom/bin:$PATH"

Prepending is powerful but risky. If $HOME/custom/bin contains a script named ls, then typing ls may run your custom script instead of /bin/ls.

You can inspect command resolution with:

type ls

Example output:

ls is /usr/bin/ls

LANG

LANG controls locale settings such as language, character encoding, sorting behavior, and formatting.

echo "$LANG"

Example output:

en_US.UTF-8

A common safe value is:

export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

If locale variables are misconfigured, programs may warn about unsupported locales or handle Unicode incorrectly.

EDITOR

EDITOR tells command-line tools which editor to open.

export EDITOR=vim

Programs such as git commit, crontab -e, and some CLI tools may use it.

Example:

git config --global core.editor "$EDITOR"

Changing Variables

Current Shell Only

To set a variable in the current shell:

DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:pass@localhost/db'
echo "$DATABASE_URL"

Example output:

postgres://user:pass@localhost/db

This is a shell variable. Child processes will not inherit it unless you export it.

python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL"))'

Example output:

None

Now export it:

export DATABASE_URL
python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL"))'

Example output:

postgres://user:pass@localhost/db

You can also set and export in one line:

export DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:pass@localhost/db'

One Command Only

You can set an environment variable for only one command:

DEBUG=1 python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ.get("DEBUG"))'

Example output:

1

Afterward:

echo "$DEBUG"

Example output:

This is useful for temporary configuration:

NODE_ENV=production npm start

or:

AWS_PROFILE=dev terraform plan

Permanent Updates

For permanent updates, add the export statement to a startup file.

Bash:

echo 'export EDITOR=vim' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Zsh:

echo 'export EDITOR=vim' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Then verify:

echo "$EDITOR"

Example output:

vim

Operations on Variables

Removing Variables

Use unset to remove a shell or environment variable from the current shell.

export API_KEY=abc123
echo "$API_KEY"

Example output:

abc123

Now unset it:

unset API_KEY
echo "$API_KEY"

Example output:

If the variable was exported, unset also removes it from the environment of future child processes.

Making Variables Read-Only

Once you have set a variable that should not change, mark it as read-only:

readonly max_retries=5

Now reassignment fails:

max_retries=3

Example output:

bash: max_retries: readonly variable

Unsetting also fails:

unset max_retries

Example output:

bash: unset: max_retries: cannot unset: readonly variable

This is useful for constants in scripts:

readonly CONFIG_DIR="$HOME/.config/myapp"
readonly MAX_RETRIES=5

Enforcing Defined Variables

Referencing an unset variable normally expands to an empty string.

Example:

echo "Hello $username"

If username is unset, output is:

Hello 

That can hide bugs.

Use:

set -u

or:

set -o nounset

Now referencing an unset variable causes an error.

Example script:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -u

echo "Count is $count"

If count is not set, Bash exits with an error like:

bash: count: unbound variable

You can also require a variable explicitly:

: "${API_KEY:?API_KEY is required}"

If API_KEY is unset or empty, the script stops with an error.

Example:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${API_KEY:?API_KEY is required}"

echo "Using API key..."

Customizing Your Prompt with PS1

Your shell prompt is controlled by the PS1 variable.

Example:

PS1="\u@\h:\w\$ "

Your prompt may look like:

ahmad@machine:/home/ahmad$

Common escape sequences:

Example with a newline:

PS1="\u@\h:\w\n\$ "

Prompt:

ahmad@machine:/home/ahmad/projects
$ 

PS1 is usually a shell variable used by the interactive shell itself. It does not usually need to be exported.

Word Splitting and IFS

IFS stands for Internal Field Separator.

It controls how Bash splits unquoted variable expansions into words.

By default, IFS contains:

• space
• tab
• newline

Example:

list="alpha beta gamma"

for item in $list; do
  echo "$item"
done

Example output:

alpha
beta
gamma

The shell split $list on spaces because $list was unquoted.

If you quote it:

list="alpha beta gamma"

for item in "$list"; do
  echo "$item"
done

Example output:

alpha beta gamma

Quoted expansions are not split.

Splitting on Commas

You can temporarily set IFS to split comma-separated data.

data="red,green,blue"

IFS=',' read -r first second third <<< "$data"

echo "$first"
echo "$second"
echo "$third"

Example output:

red
green
blue

Another example:

data="red,green,blue"
old_ifs=$IFS
IFS=','

for color in $data; do
  echo "$color"
done

IFS=$old_ifs

Example output:

red
green
blue

Be careful changing global IFS. It can break scripts in surprising ways.

Prefer local or one-command usage where possible:

IFS=',' read -r a b c <<< "$data"

Empty IFS

Setting IFS to an empty value disables word splitting for unquoted expansions.

list="a b c"
IFS=

for item in $list; do
  echo "$item"
done

Example output:

a b c

This can be useful in rare cases, but it can also break loops that expect normal splitting.

Listing Shell Definitions

Use set to inspect shell variables, functions, and shell state:

set

Example output:

BASH=/usr/bin/bash
BASHOPTS=checkwinsize:cmdhist:complete_fullquote:expand_aliases:extglob:extquote
HOME=/home/ahmad
HOSTNAME=ahmad-laptop
IFS=$' \t\n'
PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
...

set shows more than printenv.

Example:

declare -p HOME

Example output:

declare -x HOME="/home/ahmad"

The -x means exported.

env: Running Commands with Modified Environments

The env command can run a program with a modified environment.

Example:

env MODE=test python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ["MODE"])'

Example output:

test

You can also start with an empty environment using env -i:

env -i python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ)'

Example output:

environ({})

A more realistic example:

env -i PATH=/usr/bin:/bin HOME="$HOME" python3 -c 'import os; print(os.environ)'

This runs Python with only the variables you explicitly provide.

This is useful for debugging scripts that accidentally depend on your personal shell environment.

Safe Script Defaults

When writing shell scripts intended to run reliably, it is common to start with:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

Meaning:

Example:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${INPUT_FILE:?INPUT_FILE is required}"

grep "ERROR" "$INPUT_FILE" | sort | uniq

Without pipefail, this pipeline:

grep "ERROR" missing.txt | sort

might appear successful because sort succeeded, even though grep failed.

With pipefail, the whole pipeline fails.

Practical Debugging Examples

Check Whether a Variable Is Exported

MY_VAR=hello
export EXPORTED_VAR=world

printenv MY_VAR
printenv EXPORTED_VAR

Example output:

world

MY_VAR does not appear because it is not exported.

You can also check with Python:

MY_VAR=hello
export EXPORTED_VAR=world

python3 -c 'import os; print("MY_VAR =", os.environ.get("MY_VAR")); print("EXPORTED_VAR =", os.environ.get("EXPORTED_VAR"))'

Example output:

MY_VAR = None
EXPORTED_VAR = world

Prove That a Child Cannot Change the Parent

export LEVEL=parent

python3 -c '
import os
print("Before change in child:", os.environ.get("LEVEL"))
os.environ["LEVEL"] = "child"
print("After change in child:", os.environ.get("LEVEL"))
'

echo "Back in parent: LEVEL=$LEVEL"

Example output:

Before change in child: parent
After change in child: child
Back in parent: LEVEL=parent

Prove That Sourcing Changes the Current Shell

Create set_level.sh:

LEVEL=sourced
export LEVEL

Run normally:

export LEVEL=parent
bash set_level.sh
echo "$LEVEL"

Example output:

parent

Now source it:

source set_level.sh
echo "$LEVEL"

Example output:

sourced

Prove That Different Terminals Do Not Share Environment Changes

Terminal 1:

export DEMO=terminal_one
echo "$DEMO"

Example output:

terminal_one

Terminal 2:

echo "$DEMO"

Example output:

They are separate shell processes.

Environment Variables and Python Virtual Environments

Python virtual environments are often described as “isolated Python environments,” but it is important to understand what they really do.

A Python virtual environment does not create a new operating-system-level container. It does not fully isolate your machine, your filesystem, your users, or your processes.

Instead, a virtual environment mainly changes which Python interpreter and Python packages your shell uses.

The most important mechanism is environment-variable and shell-variable modification.

What a Python Virtual Environment Contains

When you create a virtual environment:

python3 -m venv .venv

Python creates a directory like this:

.venv/
├── bin/
│   ├── activate
│   ├── python
│   ├── python3
│   └── pip
├── lib/
│   └── python3.x/
│       └── site-packages/
└── pyvenv.cfg

On Windows, the layout is slightly different:

.venv/
├── Scripts/
│   ├── activate
│   ├── python.exe
│   └── pip.exe
├── Lib/
│   └── site-packages/
└── pyvenv.cfg

The parts are:

Creating a Virtual Environment Does Not Activate It

This command:

python3 -m venv .venv

only creates the .venv directory.

It does not change your current shell.

After creating it, this may still point to the system Python:

which python

Example output:

/usr/bin/python

or:

which python3

Example output:

/usr/bin/python3

To use the virtual environment conveniently, you usually activate it.

Activating a Virtual Environment

On Linux/macOS with Bash or Zsh:

source .venv/bin/activate

or equivalently:

. .venv/bin/activate

After activation:

which python

Example output:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin/python

And:

which pip

Example output:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin/pip

Your prompt may also change:

(.venv) ahmad@machine:~/project$

That prompt change is only cosmetic, but it helps you see that the venv is active.

Why Activation Must Be Sourced

This is the most important part.

The activation script changes your current shell environment.

That is why you run:

source .venv/bin/activate

not:

./.venv/bin/activate

If you run it as a normal script:

./.venv/bin/activate

it runs in a child process.

That child process may modify its own environment, but then it exits. Your parent shell stays unchanged.

This is the same rule as before:

A child process cannot modify the environment of its parent process.

So activation must be sourced because sourcing executes the file inside the current shell process.

What activate Actually Changes

Activation mostly does four things:

1. Sets VIRTUAL_ENV
2. Modifies PATH
3. Stores the old PATH
4. Changes the shell prompt

A simplified activation script looks like this:

VIRTUAL_ENV="/home/ahmad/project/.venv"
export VIRTUAL_ENV

_OLD_VIRTUAL_PATH="$PATH"
PATH="$VIRTUAL_ENV/bin:$PATH"
export PATH

_OLD_VIRTUAL_PS1="$PS1"
PS1="(.venv) $PS1"

After activation:

echo "$VIRTUAL_ENV"

Example output:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv

And:

echo "$PATH"

Example output:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin

The important change is that the venv’s bin directory is placed at the front of PATH.

Before activation:

PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin

After activation:

PATH=/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin

So when you type:

python

the shell searches:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin
/usr/local/bin
/usr/bin
/bin

It finds:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin/python

before the system Python. That is the main trick.

Activation Does Not Magically Change Python Globally

Activation does not replace /usr/bin/python. It does not uninstall system packages. It does not rewrite your operating system.It only changes your current shell so that commands like:

python
pip
pytest
django-admin
black
ruff
mypy

resolve first to executables inside:

.venv/bin/

You can verify this:

which python
which pip

Example output:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin/python
/home/ahmad/project/.venv/bin/pip

But the system Python still exists:

/usr/bin/python3 --version

Example output:

Python 3.11.6

pip install Inside a Virtual Environment

After activation:

source .venv/bin/activate
pip install requests

pip resolves to:

.venv/bin/pip

So packages are installed into:

.venv/lib/python3.x/site-packages/

You can check:

python -c 'import requests; print(requests.__file__)'

Example output:

/home/ahmad/project/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/requests/__init__.py

That means the package is installed in the virtual environment, not globally.

Concrete Example

Suppose your project directory is:

/home/ahmad/demo

Create a venv:

cd /home/ahmad/demo
python3 -m venv .venv

Before activation:

which python

Example output:

/usr/bin/python

Activate:

source .venv/bin/activate

Now:

echo "$VIRTUAL_ENV"

Example output:

/home/ahmad/demo/.venv

And:

which python

Example output:

/home/ahmad/demo/.venv/bin/python

Install a package:

pip install requests

Check where it went:

python -c 'import requests; print(requests.__file__)'

Example output:

/home/ahmad/demo/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/requests/__init__.py

Deactivate:

deactivate

Now:

which python

Example output:

/usr/bin/python

So activation temporarily changes command lookup. Deactivation restores the old shell state.

What deactivate Does

When you activate a venv, the activation script usually saves old values:

_OLD_VIRTUAL_PATH="$PATH"
_OLD_VIRTUAL_PS1="$PS1"

When you run:

deactivate

it restores them.

Conceptually:

PATH="$_OLD_VIRTUAL_PATH"
PS1="$_OLD_VIRTUAL_PS1"
unset VIRTUAL_ENV
unset _OLD_VIRTUAL_PATH
unset _OLD_VIRTUAL_PS1

After deactivation:

echo "$VIRTUAL_ENV"

Example output:

And:

which python

Example output:

/usr/bin/python

deactivate works because activation defines a shell function named deactivate in your current shell.

That function would not exist if you ran the activation script as a normal child process.

Why python -m pip Is Often Safer Than pip

Inside a venv, this usually works:

pip install flask

But this is often safer:

python -m pip install flask

Why?

Because it guarantees that pip belongs to the exact python interpreter you are using.

Example:

which python

Output:

/home/ahmad/demo/.venv/bin/python

Then:

python -m pip install flask

installs Flask into the environment used by:

/home/ahmad/demo/.venv/bin/python

This avoids mistakes where pip and python accidentally point to different installations.

You Can Use a Venv Without Activating It

Activation is convenient, but not required.

You can directly call the venv’s Python:

./.venv/bin/python script.py

or:

./.venv/bin/python -m pip install requests

This works even if the venv is not activated.

Why?

Because you explicitly chose the interpreter:

./.venv/bin/python

So the shell does not need to find python through PATH.

This is useful in scripts, cron jobs, systemd services, and CI pipelines.

Example:

/home/ahmad/demo/.venv/bin/python /home/ahmad/demo/app.py

That is often more reliable than relying on activation.

What a Venv Does Not Isolate

A Python virtual environment does not isolate everything.

It does not isolate:

For real OS-level isolation, use tools like containers, virtual machines, or sandboxing mechanisms.

A venv is mainly for Python dependency isolation.

Venv Activation as Environment Manipulation

So when people say:

source .venv/bin/activate

they are really saying:

Modify my current shell so that this project’s Python and Python-installed command-line tools come first.

The activation script does not enter a magical Python mode.

It mainly changes:

PATH
VIRTUAL_ENV
PS1

and defines:

deactivate

This is why these commands work after activation:

python
pip
pytest
black
ruff
mypy

They are found inside:

.venv/bin/

because that directory is now first in PATH.

Container Build, Credentials, and Environment Variables

Containers use environment variables heavily, but you need to separate three different moments:

1. Image build time
2. Container runtime
3. Application process runtime

These are related, but they are not the same.

A common mistake is to think:

“If I set an environment variable during docker build, my running container will automatically and safely have it.”

Sometimes it will. Sometimes it will not. And sometimes it will leak secrets into the image.

Build Time vs Runtime

Build Time

Build time happens when you run:

docker build -t myapp .

During build time, Docker executes instructions in your Dockerfile.

Example:

FROM python:3.12-slim

WORKDIR /app

COPY requirements.txt .
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt

COPY . .

CMD ["python", "app.py"]

The RUN commands execute while the image is being built.

For example:

RUN echo "Installing dependencies"

runs during:

docker build -t myapp .

not when the container starts.

Runtime

Runtime happens when you start a container from an image:

docker run myapp

At runtime, Docker creates a container process and starts the command from CMD or ENTRYPOINT.

Example:

CMD ["python", "app.py"]

means that when you run:

docker run myapp

Docker starts roughly:

python app.py

inside the container.

Environment Variables at Runtime

The most common way to pass configuration into a container is with docker run -e.

Example:

docker run -e APP_ENV=production myapp

Inside the container, the application can read:

import os

print(os.environ.get("APP_ENV"))

Example output:

production

You can pass multiple variables:

docker run \
  -e APP_ENV=production \
  -e LOG_LEVEL=info \
  -e DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app' \
  myapp

Inside Python:

import os

app_env = os.environ.get("APP_ENV")
log_level = os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL")
database_url = os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL")

print(app_env)
print(log_level)
print(database_url)

Example output:

production
info
postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app

These variables are part of the environment of the main process inside the container.

If that process starts child processes, those children inherit the environment too.

Runtime Environment Variables Flow to Child Processes

Suppose your image runs this Python app:

# app.py
import os
import subprocess

print("Parent APP_ENV:", os.environ.get("APP_ENV"))

subprocess.run([
    "python",
    "-c",
    "import os; print('Child APP_ENV:', os.environ.get('APP_ENV'))"
])

Run the container:

docker run -e APP_ENV=production myapp

Example output:

Parent APP_ENV: production
Child APP_ENV: production

The child Python process inherited the environment from the parent Python process.

But if the child changes the environment, the parent does not change.

Example:

# app.py
import os
import subprocess

os.environ["APP_ENV"] = "parent"

subprocess.run([
    "python",
    "-c",
    "import os; os.environ['APP_ENV']='child'; print('Child APP_ENV:', os.environ['APP_ENV'])"
])

print("Parent APP_ENV:", os.environ["APP_ENV"])

Example output:

Child APP_ENV: child
Parent APP_ENV: parent

Same rule as normal Unix processes:

Environment variables are inherited downward. They do not propagate upward from child to parent.

ENV in a Dockerfile

Dockerfile ENV sets an environment variable in the image.

Example:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ENV APP_ENV=production
ENV LOG_LEVEL=info

WORKDIR /app
COPY app.py .

CMD ["python", "app.py"]

Then in app.py:

import os

print(os.environ.get("APP_ENV"))
print(os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL"))

Build and run:

docker build -t myapp .
docker run myapp

Example output:

production
info

ENV values become default environment variables for containers created from the image.

You can override them at runtime:

docker run -e APP_ENV=development myapp

Then APP_ENV is:

development

So:

ENV APP_ENV=production

means:

If the user does not provide another value at runtime, use APP_ENV=production.

ARG in a Dockerfile

Dockerfile ARG is for build-time variables.

Example:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ARG APP_VERSION
RUN echo "Building version: $APP_VERSION"

CMD ["python", "--version"]

Build with:

docker build --build-arg APP_VERSION=1.2.3 -t myapp .

During the build, Docker can use:

$APP_VERSION

inside Dockerfile instructions after the ARG declaration.

But ARG is not automatically available at runtime.

Example:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ARG APP_VERSION

CMD ["python", "-c", "import os; print(os.environ.get('APP_VERSION'))"]

Build:

docker build --build-arg APP_VERSION=1.2.3 -t myapp .

Run:

docker run myapp

Example output:

None

Why?

Because ARG is build-time only unless you explicitly copy it into ENV.

Copying ARG into ENV

You can convert a build-time argument into a runtime environment variable:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ARG APP_VERSION
ENV APP_VERSION=$APP_VERSION

CMD ["python", "-c", "import os; print(os.environ.get('APP_VERSION'))"]

Build:

docker build --build-arg APP_VERSION=1.2.3 -t myapp .

Run:

docker run myapp

Example output:

1.2.3

But be careful:

Anything put into ENV becomes part of the image configuration and can be inspected later.

This is usually fine for non-secret values like versions:

ARG APP_VERSION
ENV APP_VERSION=$APP_VERSION

But it is dangerous for secrets.

Do Not Put Secrets in ENV During Build

Bad example:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ENV AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=AKIA...
ENV AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=supersecret

RUN python build_script.py

This bakes secrets into the image metadata/layers.

Anyone with access to the image may be able to inspect them.

For example:

docker inspect myapp

may reveal environment variables stored in the image config.

You should also avoid:

ARG AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
RUN echo "$AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"

and:

docker build --build-arg AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=supersecret -t myapp .

Even though ARG is build-time, it can still leak through:

• build logs
• image history
• cached layers
• package manager config files
• files created during build
• shell history or CI logs

So the rule is:

Do not use Dockerfile ARG or ENV for secrets unless you fully understand where they may be recorded.

Build Secrets: Safer Build-Time Credentials

Sometimes you need credentials during build.

For example:

• installing private Python packages
• downloading private source files
• authenticating to a private package registry
• cloning a private repository

Do not do this:

ARG PIP_TOKEN
RUN pip install private-package --extra-index-url "https://token:$PIP_TOKEN@example.com/simple"

The token may leak into build history or logs.

A safer BuildKit-style pattern is to use a build secret.

Example Dockerfile:

# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7

FROM python:3.12-slim

WORKDIR /app

RUN --mount=type=secret,id=pip_token \
    PIP_TOKEN="$(cat /run/secrets/pip_token)" && \
    pip install private-package \
      --extra-index-url "https://token:${PIP_TOKEN}@example.com/simple"

Build:

DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build \
  --secret id=pip_token,env=PIP_TOKEN \
  -t myapp .

With:

export PIP_TOKEN=supersecret

The secret is mounted temporarily during that RUN instruction at:

/run/secrets/pip_token

It is not meant to be persisted in the final image.

Still be careful not to echo it, write it into files, or include it in generated configuration.

Bad:

RUN --mount=type=secret,id=pip_token \
    cat /run/secrets/pip_token > /app/token.txt

That copies the secret into the image.

Good:

RUN --mount=type=secret,id=pip_token \
    PIP_TOKEN="$(cat /run/secrets/pip_token)" && \
    use-token-temporarily

Runtime Secrets

For runtime secrets, pass them at container start time instead of baking them into the image.

Example:

docker run \
  -e DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app' \
  -e API_KEY='secret-value' \
  myapp

Inside Python:

import os

database_url = os.environ["DATABASE_URL"]
api_key = os.environ["API_KEY"]

This is common and convenient.

However, environment variables are not perfect secret storage.

They can sometimes be exposed through:

• process inspection
• container inspection
• crash dumps
• application logs
• debug pages
• accidental printenv
• shell history
• orchestrator metadata

For stronger secret management, use the secret mechanism provided by your platform.

Examples:

• Docker secrets
• Kubernetes Secrets
• cloud secret managers
• mounted secret files
• CI/CD secret stores

--env-file

Instead of passing many -e options, you can use an env file.

Create .env:

APP_ENV=production
LOG_LEVEL=info
DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app

Run:

docker run --env-file .env myapp

Inside Python:

import os

print(os.environ.get("APP_ENV"))
print(os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL"))
print(os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL"))

Example output:

production
info
postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app

Important:

An env file is not automatically secret-safe.

If .env contains credentials, protect it:

chmod 600 .env

and do not commit it:

echo ".env" >> .gitignore

Docker Compose Environment Variables

With Compose, you can pass runtime environment variables like this:

services:
  app:
    image: myapp
    environment:
      APP_ENV: production
      LOG_LEVEL: info
      DATABASE_URL: postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app

Or:

services:
  app:
    image: myapp
    env_file:
      - .env

Then:

docker compose up

The variables are injected into the container at runtime.

Inside the app:

import os

print(os.environ.get("APP_ENV"))

Example output:

production

Compose .env vs Container env_file

This is a frequent source of confusion.

Compose has two different concepts:

1. .env file used by Compose for variable substitution
2. env_file: used to pass variables into the container

They are not the same thing.

Compose .env for Substitution

Suppose you have a .env file:

APP_IMAGE=myapp:latest
HOST_PORT=8080

And compose.yaml:

services:
  app:
    image: ${APP_IMAGE}
    ports:
      - "${HOST_PORT}:8000"

Compose uses .env to substitute values before creating containers.

This affects the Compose file.

It does not automatically mean every variable in .env is injected into the container environment.

env_file: for Container Environment

To inject variables into the container, use:

services:
  app:
    image: myapp
    env_file:
      - .env

Now variables from .env become environment variables inside the container.

So:

services:
  app:
    image: ${APP_IMAGE}

uses .env for Compose substitution.

But:

services:
  app:
    env_file:
      - .env

passes variables into the container.

Build Args in Compose

Compose can also pass build arguments.

services:
  app:
    build:
      context: .
      args:
        APP_VERSION: "1.2.3"

Dockerfile:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ARG APP_VERSION
RUN echo "Building version $APP_VERSION"

This makes APP_VERSION available during image build.

But it does not automatically exist at runtime.

To preserve it at runtime:

ARG APP_VERSION
ENV APP_VERSION=$APP_VERSION

Again, this is okay for non-secrets like versions, commit SHAs, or build metadata.

Do not use this pattern for credentials.

Multi-Stage Builds and Secrets

Multi-stage builds can reduce accidental secret leakage, but they are not magic.

Example:

FROM python:3.12-slim AS builder

WORKDIR /app

RUN --mount=type=secret,id=pip_token \
    PIP_TOKEN="$(cat /run/secrets/pip_token)" && \
    pip wheel private-package \
      --extra-index-url "https://token:${PIP_TOKEN}@example.com/simple" \
      -w /wheels

FROM python:3.12-slim

COPY --from=builder /wheels /wheels
RUN pip install /wheels/*

CMD ["python", "--version"]

The final image does not include the whole builder filesystem, only what you copy.

But if you copy secret-containing files from the builder stage, they still leak.

Bad:

COPY --from=builder /root/.config/pip/pip.conf /root/.config/pip/pip.conf

Good:

COPY --from=builder /wheels /wheels

Also avoid writing secrets to files in the first place.

Runtime Environment Variables Override Dockerfile ENV

Dockerfile:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ENV APP_ENV=production

CMD ["python", "-c", "import os; print(os.environ['APP_ENV'])"]

Build:

docker build -t myapp .

Run normally:

docker run myapp

Example output:

production

Override at runtime:

docker run -e APP_ENV=development myapp

Example output:

development

So precedence is roughly:

runtime -e / env_file / orchestrator env
overrides
Dockerfile ENV default

Environment Variables and Image Layers

Docker images are built in layers.

Each Dockerfile instruction may create metadata or filesystem changes.

Example:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ENV API_KEY=supersecret

Even if you later do:

ENV API_KEY=

the secret may still exist in image history or earlier metadata.

Similarly:

RUN echo "supersecret" > /tmp/secret.txt
RUN rm /tmp/secret.txt

can still be dangerous because the earlier layer may contain the file.

Do not rely on deleting secrets later in the Dockerfile.

The safer rule:

Never put secrets into image layers in the first place.

Example: Bad Container Secret Pattern

Bad Dockerfile:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ARG GITHUB_TOKEN

RUN git clone https://$GITHUB_TOKEN@github.com/example/private-repo.git /app

WORKDIR /app

CMD ["python", "app.py"]

Build:

docker build \
  --build-arg GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_secret \
  -t myapp .

Problems:

• token may appear in build logs
• token may appear in shell history
• token may appear in image metadata/history
• token may be cached in layers
• private repository metadata may remain in the image

Better:

# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7

FROM python:3.12-slim

WORKDIR /app

RUN --mount=type=secret,id=github_token \
    GITHUB_TOKEN="$(cat /run/secrets/github_token)" && \
    git clone https://x-access-token:${GITHUB_TOKEN}@github.com/example/private-repo.git .

Build:

export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_secret

DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build \
  --secret id=github_token,env=GITHUB_TOKEN \
  -t myapp .

Even better, for many workflows:

• clone source code outside the Docker build using CI credentials
• pass the source directory as build context
• do not make Docker responsible for fetching private source

Example: Python App Reading Runtime Configuration

app.py:

import os
import sys

required = ["DATABASE_URL", "SECRET_KEY"]

missing = [name for name in required if not os.environ.get(name)]

if missing:
    print(f"Missing required environment variables: {', '.join(missing)}", file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(1)

database_url = os.environ["DATABASE_URL"]
secret_key = os.environ["SECRET_KEY"]

print("App configured successfully")
print("DATABASE_URL exists:", bool(database_url))
print("SECRET_KEY exists:", bool(secret_key))

Dockerfile:

FROM python:3.12-slim

WORKDIR /app

COPY app.py .

CMD ["python", "app.py"]

Build:

docker build -t env-demo .

Run without env vars:

docker run env-demo

Example output:

Missing required environment variables: DATABASE_URL, SECRET_KEY

Run with env vars:

docker run \
  -e DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app' \
  -e SECRET_KEY='supersecret' \
  env-demo

Example output:

App configured successfully
DATABASE_URL exists: True
SECRET_KEY exists: True

This is the standard pattern:

Build the image once. Configure it differently at runtime using environment variables.

Example: Build-Time Version, Runtime Secrets

A good split:

• Build-time: app version, commit SHA, build date
• Runtime: database password, API tokens, secret keys

Dockerfile:

FROM python:3.12-slim

ARG APP_VERSION
ENV APP_VERSION=$APP_VERSION

WORKDIR /app
COPY app.py .

CMD ["python", "app.py"]

app.py:

import os

print("App version:", os.environ.get("APP_VERSION"))
print("Runtime environment:", os.environ.get("APP_ENV"))
print("Has database URL:", bool(os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL")))

Build:

docker build \
  --build-arg APP_VERSION=1.2.3 \
  -t myapp:1.2.3 .

Run:

docker run \
  -e APP_ENV=production \
  -e DATABASE_URL='postgres://user:pass@db:5432/app' \
  myapp:1.2.3

Example output:

App version: 1.2.3
Runtime environment: production
Has database URL: True

This is a healthy pattern because APP_VERSION is not secret, while DATABASE_URL is provided at runtime.

Containers and .env Files in Python Apps

Many Python apps use python-dotenv to load a .env file:

from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()

print(os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL"))

This is common in local development.

But inside containers, there are two different approaches:

Approach 1: Docker injects environment variables

docker run --env-file .env myapp

Then Python reads from os.environ.

No need for python-dotenv inside the container.

Approach 2: App reads .env from the filesystem

Dockerfile:

COPY .env /app/.env

Python:

from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()

This is usually worse for secrets because the .env file becomes part of the image if copied during build.

Avoid:

COPY .env .

Better:

COPY . .

with .dockerignore containing:

.env
.git
__pycache__
.venv

Then pass variables at runtime:

docker run --env-file .env myapp

.dockerignore and Secret Protection

Your build context is everything Docker can see during build.

If your project contains:

.env
.aws/
.ssh/
.venv/
.git/

and you run:

docker build -t myapp .

Docker may send those files to the Docker daemon as part of the build context unless excluded.

Use .dockerignore.

Example .dockerignore:

.env
.env.*
!.env.example

.git
.venv
__pycache__
*.pyc

.aws
.ssh
id_rsa
id_ed25519

This helps prevent accidental secret exposure.

Important:

.dockerignore does not protect secrets already copied into the image by Dockerfile instructions. It only keeps files out of the build context.

Inspecting Container Environment

To see environment variables in a running container:

docker exec container_name printenv

Example:

docker exec myapp-container printenv APP_ENV

To inspect image default environment variables:

docker image inspect myapp

or:

docker inspect myapp

You may see Dockerfile ENV values in the image configuration.

For a running container:

docker inspect container_name

This can also reveal runtime environment variables.

That is another reason not to treat environment variables as perfect secret storage.

Kubernetes Environment Variables

In Kubernetes, containers also receive environment variables at runtime.

Example:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: myapp
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: myapp
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: myapp
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: app
          image: myapp:1.2.3
          env:
            - name: APP_ENV
              value: "production"
            - name: DATABASE_URL
              valueFrom:
                secretKeyRef:
                  name: myapp-secrets
                  key: database-url

Inside Python:

import os

print(os.environ.get("APP_ENV"))
print(bool(os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL")))

The values are injected into the process environment when the container starts.

A Kubernetes Secret is better than hardcoding secrets in the image, but environment-variable secrets can still be exposed to processes with sufficient permissions.

Many production systems prefer mounting secrets as files.

Example:

volumeMounts:
  - name: secret-volume
    mountPath: "/run/secrets"
    readOnly: true
volumes:
  - name: secret-volume
    secret:
      secretName: myapp-secrets

Then your app reads:

from pathlib import Path

database_url = Path("/run/secrets/database-url").read_text().strip()

CI/CD Credentials and Docker Builds

CI systems often provide secrets as environment variables.

Example:

GITHUB_TOKEN
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
PIP_INDEX_URL
NPM_TOKEN

Be careful when using them in Docker builds.

Bad:

docker build \
  --build-arg AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="$AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY" \
  -t myapp .

Better for build-time secret needs:

DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build \
  --secret id=aws_secret_access_key,env=AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY \
  -t myapp .

Dockerfile:

# syntax=docker/dockerfile:1.7

FROM python:3.12-slim

RUN --mount=type=secret,id=aws_secret_access_key \
    AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="$(cat /run/secrets/aws_secret_access_key)" && \
    some-build-command

Even with BuildKit secrets:

• do not print the secret
• do not write it into files copied into final image
• do not include it in generated config
• do not put it into ENV
• do not copy secret-containing cache directories

Common Bad Patterns

Bad: Secrets in Dockerfile

ENV SECRET_KEY=supersecret

Problem: baked into image metadata.

Bad: Secrets as Build Args

ARG SECRET_KEY
RUN echo "$SECRET_KEY"

Problem: may leak through history, logs, cache, or generated files.

Bad: Copying .env into Image

COPY .env /app/.env

Problem: secret file becomes part of image.

Bad: Printing Environment

RUN printenv

or:

print(os.environ)

Problem: secrets may appear in logs.

Bad: Installing Private Packages with Token in URL

RUN pip install \
  --extra-index-url "https://user:token@example.com/simple" \
  private-package

Problem: token may appear in logs or build metadata.

Safer Patterns

Good: Runtime Environment Variables for Configuration

docker run \
  -e APP_ENV=production \
  -e DATABASE_URL="$DATABASE_URL" \
  myapp

Good: Build Args for Non-Secrets

docker build \
  --build-arg APP_VERSION=1.2.3 \
  -t myapp:1.2.3 .

Dockerfile:

ARG APP_VERSION
ENV APP_VERSION=$APP_VERSION

Good: BuildKit Secrets for Build-Time Credentials

DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build \
  --secret id=pip_token,env=PIP_TOKEN \
  -t myapp .

Dockerfile:

RUN --mount=type=secret,id=pip_token \
    PIP_TOKEN="$(cat /run/secrets/pip_token)" && \
    pip install private-package

Good: .dockerignore

.env
.env.*
!.env.example
.git
.venv
.aws
.ssh

Good: Runtime Secret Files

docker run \
  --mount type=bind,src="$PWD/secrets",dst=/run/secrets,readonly \
  myapp

Python:

from pathlib import Path

secret_key = Path("/run/secrets/secret_key").read_text().strip()

Practical Decision Table

Challenges

1. Create a shell variable and then try to read it from a Python child process. Export the variable and try again. Explain the difference between a shell variable and an environment variable.
2. Export an environment variable in one terminal, then open another terminal and try to read it there. Explain why environment variables do not automatically persist between separate terminals.
3. Write a script that changes an environment variable. Run it normally, then run it with source. Explain why only the sourced version changes the current shell.
4. Use Python or another child process to modify an inherited environment variable. After the child exits, check the value in the parent shell. Explain why the parent was not affected.
5. Compare ( VAR=value; echo "$VAR" ) with { VAR=value; echo "$VAR"; }. Explain the difference between a subshell and a current-shell block.
6. Use printenv, env, set, declare -p, and export -p to inspect variables. Compare which commands show only environment variables and which show shell variables too.
7. Modify PATH to include a custom directory containing a small executable script. Run the script from another directory and explain how command lookup uses PATH.
8. Create and activate a Python virtual environment. Check which python, which pip, echo "$PATH", and echo "$VIRTUAL_ENV" before and after activation. Explain what activation actually changes.
9. Try running a virtual environment’s activate script normally instead of sourcing it. Explain why the current shell is not affected.
10. Run a command with a temporary environment variable, such as DEBUG=1 python3 app.py, then check whether DEBUG still exists afterward. Explain command-scoped environment variables.
11. Use env -i to start a command with an almost empty environment. Add back only selected variables like PATH and HOME. Explain why many programs depend on environment variables.
12. Write a small Dockerfile using both ARG and ENV. Build the image with --build-arg, run a container, and explain which values are available at build time versus runtime.
13. Run a container with docker run -e APP_ENV=production ... and read the value inside the application. Explain how runtime environment variables are injected into the container process.
14. Override a Dockerfile ENV value using docker run -e. Explain the precedence between image defaults and runtime environment variables.
15. Create a .env file and use it with docker run --env-file or Docker Compose env_file. Explain the difference between using .env for Compose substitution and passing variables into the container.
16. Demonstrate why secrets should not be baked into a Docker image using ENV or ARG. Explain safer alternatives such as runtime secrets, mounted secret files, or BuildKit secrets.
17. Add .env, .venv, .git, .ssh, and .aws to .dockerignore. Explain how .dockerignore helps prevent accidental secret or dependency leakage during image builds.
18. Use a Python script inside a container to start a child process. Show that the child inherits runtime environment variables from the parent process.
19. Store a script counter in a file rather than relying only on an environment variable. Explain why environment variables are not a good mechanism for persistent state.
20. Set a variable as read-only with readonly, then try to change and unset it. Explain when read-only variables are useful in scripts.