enter: better control over copied host envvars #1695
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Currently, all host environment variables are copied into the container, except for a hardcoded few that are ignored: https://github.com/89luca89/distrobox/blob/3b9f0e8d3d8bd102e1636a22afffafe00777d30b/distrobox-enter#L434 This is not always the desired behavior, particularly on host distros like NixOS or Guix that break from the FHS and need to set a lot of environment variables to work around the resulting issues: 89luca89#1516 Therefore, provide a --no-envvars option to disable the default copying of environment variables, and an --additional-envvars option to copy specific ones. It was suggested to use `env -u distrobox` in order to unset specific environment variables: 89luca89#656 However, there are usually too many copied environment variables to unset them all individually. `env -i distrobox` will unset environment variables, but that includes PATH and other things needed for distrobox to execute correctly on the host. Other instances of this feature being requested: 89luca89#508 89luca89#743 89luca89#1173
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I thought I should give a specific example of how this is useful, so here goes: I installed Distrobox for the first time, on Guix. When I tried to run Emacs from a Fedora container, it segfaulted. I spent hours trawling through bug trackers and Then I noticed that After fixing this, it dawned on me that I was probably seeing the same issue with Emacs. Eventually, after painstakingly unsetting dozens of environment variables, I managed to get it to launch fine. With this PR, I just have to pass Hopefully that gives an idea of why this might be a desirable change. |
Currently, all host environment variables are copied into the container, except for a hardcoded few that are ignored:
distrobox/distrobox-enter
Line 435 in 3b9f0e8
This is not always the desired behavior, particularly on host distros like NixOS or Guix that break from the FHS and need to set a lot of environment variables to work around the resulting issues:
#1516
Therefore, provide a
--no-envvarsoption to disable the default copying of environment variables, and an--additional-envvarsoption to copy specific ones.It was suggested to use
env -u distroboxin order to unset specific environment variables:#656
However, there are usually too many copied environment variables to unset them all individually.
env -i distroboxwill unset all environment variables, but that includes PATH and other things needed for distrobox to execute correctly on the host.Other instances of this feature being requested:
#508
#743
#1173