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I have a bash script env_setter.sh. It sets an environment variable. It contains:

#!/bin/bash echo "inside env_setter script....." export NAME="jake"

I have another script tester.sh. It tries to print the value of the environment variable set by env_setter.sh. It contains:

#!/bin/bash echo "Inside tester script..." echo "$NAME"

Then I have a script runner.sh that executes both of the above scripts as follow:

#!/bin/bash echo "Inside runner script..." . ./env_setter.sh echo "$NAME" sudo nohup ./tester.sh > demo.log 2>&1 & echo $! > save_pid.pid

Now when I run runner.sh, I get following output in demo.log:

inside env_setter script..... jake Inside tester script...

As we can see, the last echo command in tester.sh doesn't print anything. This is because the environment variable that we set with env_setter.sh is not being exported inside the context of tester.sh.

So, how do I export the environment variable to the background process in such cases?

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    Normally sudo replaces the current environment with the environment of the user, for security reasons. Use sudo -E to preserve the calling environment. Or you can pass variables on the command line, sudo NAME=jake. Commented Sep 1, 2018 at 14:15
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    What you are looking for is to pass one variable from one script to another script. This has already been asked and answered here: stackoverflow.com/questions/9772036/… Commented Sep 1, 2018 at 14:46
  • @JimJanney sudo -E worked for me. Thanks ! Commented Sep 1, 2018 at 14:55
  • @JimJanney Would you please add that as an answer so the OP can check it off? Thanks! Commented Sep 1, 2018 at 18:11
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    Possible duplicate of Can I export a variable to the environment from a bash script without sourcing it? and How to keep environment variables when using sudo Commented Sep 1, 2018 at 21:39

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Normally sudo replaces the current environment with the environment of the new user, for security reasons. Use sudo -E to preserve the calling environment. Or you can pass variables on the command line, sudo NAME=jake.

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