Unable to access environment variable in Python in Pycharm

Question

I'm trying to access environment variable which is exported in ~/.bashrc file as below.

export ENV=local and did source ~/.bashrc. I can see the value local when I hit echo $ENV in terminal.

But in my python project (which is attached to a specific virtualenv in Pycharm) , when I try to do os.environ['ENV'] and run the script by rigt-clicking it and Run, it is throwing KeyError.

I can't see the ENV in the output when i try to do os.environ.

What could be the issue? I guess the virtualenv should not cause any issue. Is it true?

OS: Ubuntu 18.04
Python: 3.7.4

I think your method of adding environment variable to the bashrc might be wrong, because if you try `os.environ` in python it would list some variables and try any of that variable you wouldn't get error — amrs-tech, Sep 27 '19 at 11:37
So. where do I export environment variable so that I can access it from python? — Underoos, Sep 27 '19 at 11:38
You can better try another way to add environment variable like opening the **bashrc** file and add it directly and then try with `os.environ[..]` in python — amrs-tech, Sep 27 '19 at 11:38
That's what I did. Opened `bashrc` and added the variable as `export ENV=local`. — Underoos, Sep 27 '19 at 11:39
Try the solution from this link : https://askubuntu.com/questions/58814/how-do-i-add-environment-variables — amrs-tech, Sep 27 '19 at 11:40

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 27 '19 at 12:31

It turned out that everytime I right click and run the script in Pycharm, it was creating a RunConfiguration which contains only one ENVIRONMENT variable which is PYTHONBUFFERED=1.

And I was not able to access any of the other variables. Short term resolution is that I added the environment variable ENV=local in that RunConfiguration.

and it worked.

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 27 '19 at 11:46

-1

Try this:

export ENV="local"

Add this line to the last of the file ~/.bashrc file and then restart the terminal to open python.

Now:

import os
os.environ['ENV']

It would work with expected output. Hope it helps :)

answered Sep 27 '19 at 11:46

amrs-tech

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Turned out that the issue is because of Pycharm. I was able to run the script normally and receiving accessing the variable. – Underoos Sep 27 '19 at 11:55
1

Okay, because I tried the same way inside my virtualenv and it worked, that's why suggested this answers again (sorry if it is redundant) – amrs-tech Sep 27 '19 at 11:56
Did the problem solved or still it exists ? @SukumarRdjf – amrs-tech Sep 27 '19 at 11:57
Not if I run the script directly. But in Pycharm, yes. – Underoos Sep 27 '19 at 11:58
Can you reproduce your code, so that I may help ? – amrs-tech Sep 27 '19 at 12:01
same code. I was trying to run from pycharm before. Now I ran it normally from terminal. – Underoos Sep 27 '19 at 12:03
@SukumarRdjf No I meant entire code, because it is still working for me even in PyCharm – amrs-tech Sep 27 '19 at 12:04
`import os; ss = os.environ['ENV']; print('ss', ss)` – Underoos Sep 27 '19 at 12:08
Your environment variable was `ENV_NAME=local` or `ENV`? – amrs-tech Sep 27 '19 at 12:09
Updated the comment – Underoos Sep 27 '19 at 12:10
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](https://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/200069/discussion-between-amrs-tech-and-sukumar-rdjf). – amrs-tech Sep 27 '19 at 12:13

Unable to access environment variable in Python in Pycharm

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