All variables (with their associated values) known to a command at the beginning of its execution constitute its environment. This environment includes variables that a command inherits from its parent process and variables specified as keyword parameters on the command line that calls the command. The shell interacts with the environment in several ways. When started, the shell scans the environment and creates a parameter for each name found, giving the parameter the corresponding value and marking it for export. Executed commands inherit the environment.
To display your current environment variables, use the env command. An environment variable that is accessible to all your processes is called a global variable.
For example, to list all environment variables, type:
env
Press Enter.
Following is an example of the output:
TMPDIR=/usr/tmp
myid=denise
LANG=En_US
UNAME=barnard
PAGER=/bin/pg
VISUAL=vi
PATH=/usr/ucb:/usr/lpp/X11/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/etc:/u/denise:/u/denise/bin:/u/bin1
MAILPATH=/usr/mail/denise?denise has mail !!!
MAILRECORD=/u/denise/.Outmail
EXINIT=set beautify noflash nomesg report=1 showmode showmatch
EDITOR=vi
PSCH=>
HISTFILE=/u/denise/.history
LOGNAME=denise
MAIL=/usr/mail/denise
PS1=denise@barnard:${PWD}>
PS3=#
PS2=>
epath=/usr/bin
USER=denise
SHELL=/bin/ksh
HISTSIZE=500
HOME=/u/denise
FCEDIT=vi
TERM=lft
MAILMSG=**YOU HAVE NEW MAIL. USE THE mail COMMAND TO SEE YOUR PWD=/u/denise
ENV=/u/denise/.env
If the listing is very long, the top portion scrolls off the screen. To display the listing one page (screen) at a time, use the env command piped to the pg command. At the prompt, type:
env | pg
Press Enter.
See the env command in the AIX 5L Version 5.2 Commands Reference for the complete syntax.