Environment Variables

Environment variables are named variables used to store a value, such as a specific file path, and can be used to influence Katana's behavior. For example, Katana uses the information stored in them to define where to place certain files.

Setting Environment Variables

The section teaches you how to set environment variables, check if a particular environment variable exists, and displays a list of set environment variables.

To Set an Environment Variable

On Linux

1.

The procedure for setting an environment variable depends on what your default shell is. To get the name of the shell you are using, launch a shell and enter echo $SHELL.

2.

Depending on the output of the previous step, do one of the following:

• If your shell is a csh or tcsh shell, add the following command to the .cshrc or .tcshrc file in your home directory: setenv VARIABLE value. Replace VARIABLE with the name of the environment variable and value with the value you want to give it, for example, setenv KATANA_PATH /SharedDisk/Katana.

• If your shell is a bash or ksh shell, add the following command to the .bashrc or .kshrc file in your home directory: export VARIABLE=value. Replace VARIABLE with the name of the environment variable and value with the value you want to give it, for example, export KATANA_PATH=/SharedDisk/Katana.

For a list of the environment variables that Katana understands, see Environment Variables.

On Windows

1.

Right-click on My Computer and select Properties.

2.

Go to the Advanced tab.

3.

Click the Environment Variables... button.

The Environment Variables dialog opens.

4.

Click the New... button either under User variables or System variables, depending on whether you want to set the variable for the current user or all users. To set environment variables for all users, you need to have administrator privileges.

5.

In the Variable name field, enter the name of the environment variable you want to set. For a list of the environment variables that Katana understands, see Environment Variables.

6.

In the Variable value field, enter the value for the variable. The value can be a directory path, for example.

7.

Click OK.

Note:  When editing existing system variables, or adding or deleting either user or system variables, you may need to log off and on again before your changes to environment variables take effect.

To Check if an Environment Variable Exists

On Linux

1.

Launch a shell.

2.

Enter echo $VARIABLE. Replace VARIABLE wit the name of the environment variable. For example, to check if KATANA_DISABLE_LIVEGROUP_CACHING is set, enter echo $KATANA_DISABLE_LIVEGROUP_CACHING.

If the variable is set, its value is displayed in the shell window.

On Windows

1.

Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.

2.

In the command window that opens, enter echo %VARIABLE%. Replace VARIABLE with the name of the environment variable. For example, to check if KATANA_DISABLE_LIVEGROUP_CACHING is set, enter echo %KATANA_DISABLE_LIVEGROUP_CACHING%.

If the variable is set, its value is displayed in the command window.

To Display a List of Set Environment Variables

On Linux

1.

Launch a shell.

2.

Enter printenv.

A list of all environment variables that are set is displayed in the shell window.

On Windows

1.

Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.

2.

In the command window that opens, enter set.

A list of all the environment variables that are set is displayed in the command window.