change environment variable on a running process in mac
I have a running process on mac and I want to change is environment variable from out side the process, using some command line utility.
How can I do that?
macos environment-variables
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
add a comment |
I have a running process on mac and I want to change is environment variable from out side the process, using some command line utility.
How can I do that?
macos environment-variables
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
Which variable do you want to change and why? Do you have access to the source code of the process?
– Mark Setchell
Nov 30 '18 at 22:07
I want to set SH_AUTH_SOCK and SSH_AGENT_PID variable to a running IntelliJ. I want the run/debug processes will be have that env variables. I know that I can set the env variables of the in the 'edit configuration' before running/debugging the program but the value of these variables is determent by running a script.
– yoni
Dec 2 '18 at 10:16
A technique I have used in the past is to change a value in a config file, and send the process a SIGHUP which causes it to re-read the config file.
– Mark Setchell
Dec 2 '18 at 11:05
add a comment |
I have a running process on mac and I want to change is environment variable from out side the process, using some command line utility.
How can I do that?
macos environment-variables
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
I have a running process on mac and I want to change is environment variable from out side the process, using some command line utility.
How can I do that?
macos environment-variables
macos environment-variables
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
asked Nov 21 '18 at 9:16
yoniyoni
466
466
Which variable do you want to change and why? Do you have access to the source code of the process?
– Mark Setchell
Nov 30 '18 at 22:07
I want to set SH_AUTH_SOCK and SSH_AGENT_PID variable to a running IntelliJ. I want the run/debug processes will be have that env variables. I know that I can set the env variables of the in the 'edit configuration' before running/debugging the program but the value of these variables is determent by running a script.
– yoni
Dec 2 '18 at 10:16
A technique I have used in the past is to change a value in a config file, and send the process a SIGHUP which causes it to re-read the config file.
– Mark Setchell
Dec 2 '18 at 11:05
add a comment |
Which variable do you want to change and why? Do you have access to the source code of the process?
– Mark Setchell
Nov 30 '18 at 22:07
I want to set SH_AUTH_SOCK and SSH_AGENT_PID variable to a running IntelliJ. I want the run/debug processes will be have that env variables. I know that I can set the env variables of the in the 'edit configuration' before running/debugging the program but the value of these variables is determent by running a script.
– yoni
Dec 2 '18 at 10:16
A technique I have used in the past is to change a value in a config file, and send the process a SIGHUP which causes it to re-read the config file.
– Mark Setchell
Dec 2 '18 at 11:05
Which variable do you want to change and why? Do you have access to the source code of the process?
– Mark Setchell
Nov 30 '18 at 22:07
Which variable do you want to change and why? Do you have access to the source code of the process?
– Mark Setchell
Nov 30 '18 at 22:07
I want to set SH_AUTH_SOCK and SSH_AGENT_PID variable to a running IntelliJ. I want the run/debug processes will be have that env variables. I know that I can set the env variables of the in the 'edit configuration' before running/debugging the program but the value of these variables is determent by running a script.
– yoni
Dec 2 '18 at 10:16
I want to set SH_AUTH_SOCK and SSH_AGENT_PID variable to a running IntelliJ. I want the run/debug processes will be have that env variables. I know that I can set the env variables of the in the 'edit configuration' before running/debugging the program but the value of these variables is determent by running a script.
– yoni
Dec 2 '18 at 10:16
A technique I have used in the past is to change a value in a config file, and send the process a SIGHUP which causes it to re-read the config file.
– Mark Setchell
Dec 2 '18 at 11:05
A technique I have used in the past is to change a value in a config file, and send the process a SIGHUP which causes it to re-read the config file.
– Mark Setchell
Dec 2 '18 at 11:05
add a comment |
1 Answer
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You cannot change the environment variables of a running process via an external utility. Doing so would require the utility to modify the address space of the process. Note that this is not a limitation of macOS. This is a limitation of the UNIX process model. When a UNIX process is created by the kernel the environment variables are put in its address space; typically near the top of the stack. They are not stored in the kernel data structures for the process. And thus there are no system calls for getting or setting those vars. Which means there is no way for one process to affect the env vars of a second process other than at the time the second process is created via execve() or a related syscall.
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
This is generally the correct way to think about it. The exception is, basically, a debugger or something very like a debugger, which can read and write the target's memory and even make the target call a function likesetenv().
– Ken Thomases
Dec 1 '18 at 0:06
@ken-thomases Yes, and I've actually done that; i.e., used ptrace(2) to modify the address space of a running process. But anyone asking this question isn't going to know enough to be able to do that and in any case it isn't in general safe to do so. Consider too that simply changing theTZorLANGvalue isn't enough. You'll also need to force the process to callsetlocale()or similar function. Which, depending on the current state of the process may not be safe.
– Kurtis Rader
Dec 1 '18 at 17:33
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
You cannot change the environment variables of a running process via an external utility. Doing so would require the utility to modify the address space of the process. Note that this is not a limitation of macOS. This is a limitation of the UNIX process model. When a UNIX process is created by the kernel the environment variables are put in its address space; typically near the top of the stack. They are not stored in the kernel data structures for the process. And thus there are no system calls for getting or setting those vars. Which means there is no way for one process to affect the env vars of a second process other than at the time the second process is created via execve() or a related syscall.
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
This is generally the correct way to think about it. The exception is, basically, a debugger or something very like a debugger, which can read and write the target's memory and even make the target call a function likesetenv().
– Ken Thomases
Dec 1 '18 at 0:06
@ken-thomases Yes, and I've actually done that; i.e., used ptrace(2) to modify the address space of a running process. But anyone asking this question isn't going to know enough to be able to do that and in any case it isn't in general safe to do so. Consider too that simply changing theTZorLANGvalue isn't enough. You'll also need to force the process to callsetlocale()or similar function. Which, depending on the current state of the process may not be safe.
– Kurtis Rader
Dec 1 '18 at 17:33
add a comment |
You cannot change the environment variables of a running process via an external utility. Doing so would require the utility to modify the address space of the process. Note that this is not a limitation of macOS. This is a limitation of the UNIX process model. When a UNIX process is created by the kernel the environment variables are put in its address space; typically near the top of the stack. They are not stored in the kernel data structures for the process. And thus there are no system calls for getting or setting those vars. Which means there is no way for one process to affect the env vars of a second process other than at the time the second process is created via execve() or a related syscall.
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
This is generally the correct way to think about it. The exception is, basically, a debugger or something very like a debugger, which can read and write the target's memory and even make the target call a function likesetenv().
– Ken Thomases
Dec 1 '18 at 0:06
@ken-thomases Yes, and I've actually done that; i.e., used ptrace(2) to modify the address space of a running process. But anyone asking this question isn't going to know enough to be able to do that and in any case it isn't in general safe to do so. Consider too that simply changing theTZorLANGvalue isn't enough. You'll also need to force the process to callsetlocale()or similar function. Which, depending on the current state of the process may not be safe.
– Kurtis Rader
Dec 1 '18 at 17:33
add a comment |
You cannot change the environment variables of a running process via an external utility. Doing so would require the utility to modify the address space of the process. Note that this is not a limitation of macOS. This is a limitation of the UNIX process model. When a UNIX process is created by the kernel the environment variables are put in its address space; typically near the top of the stack. They are not stored in the kernel data structures for the process. And thus there are no system calls for getting or setting those vars. Which means there is no way for one process to affect the env vars of a second process other than at the time the second process is created via execve() or a related syscall.
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
You cannot change the environment variables of a running process via an external utility. Doing so would require the utility to modify the address space of the process. Note that this is not a limitation of macOS. This is a limitation of the UNIX process model. When a UNIX process is created by the kernel the environment variables are put in its address space; typically near the top of the stack. They are not stored in the kernel data structures for the process. And thus there are no system calls for getting or setting those vars. Which means there is no way for one process to affect the env vars of a second process other than at the time the second process is created via execve() or a related syscall.
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
answered Nov 30 '18 at 21:37
Kurtis RaderKurtis Rader
3,309610
3,309610
This is generally the correct way to think about it. The exception is, basically, a debugger or something very like a debugger, which can read and write the target's memory and even make the target call a function likesetenv().
– Ken Thomases
Dec 1 '18 at 0:06
@ken-thomases Yes, and I've actually done that; i.e., used ptrace(2) to modify the address space of a running process. But anyone asking this question isn't going to know enough to be able to do that and in any case it isn't in general safe to do so. Consider too that simply changing theTZorLANGvalue isn't enough. You'll also need to force the process to callsetlocale()or similar function. Which, depending on the current state of the process may not be safe.
– Kurtis Rader
Dec 1 '18 at 17:33
add a comment |
This is generally the correct way to think about it. The exception is, basically, a debugger or something very like a debugger, which can read and write the target's memory and even make the target call a function likesetenv().
– Ken Thomases
Dec 1 '18 at 0:06
@ken-thomases Yes, and I've actually done that; i.e., used ptrace(2) to modify the address space of a running process. But anyone asking this question isn't going to know enough to be able to do that and in any case it isn't in general safe to do so. Consider too that simply changing theTZorLANGvalue isn't enough. You'll also need to force the process to callsetlocale()or similar function. Which, depending on the current state of the process may not be safe.
– Kurtis Rader
Dec 1 '18 at 17:33
This is generally the correct way to think about it. The exception is, basically, a debugger or something very like a debugger, which can read and write the target's memory and even make the target call a function like
setenv().– Ken Thomases
Dec 1 '18 at 0:06
This is generally the correct way to think about it. The exception is, basically, a debugger or something very like a debugger, which can read and write the target's memory and even make the target call a function like
setenv().– Ken Thomases
Dec 1 '18 at 0:06
@ken-thomases Yes, and I've actually done that; i.e., used ptrace(2) to modify the address space of a running process. But anyone asking this question isn't going to know enough to be able to do that and in any case it isn't in general safe to do so. Consider too that simply changing the
TZ or LANG value isn't enough. You'll also need to force the process to call setlocale() or similar function. Which, depending on the current state of the process may not be safe.– Kurtis Rader
Dec 1 '18 at 17:33
@ken-thomases Yes, and I've actually done that; i.e., used ptrace(2) to modify the address space of a running process. But anyone asking this question isn't going to know enough to be able to do that and in any case it isn't in general safe to do so. Consider too that simply changing the
TZ or LANG value isn't enough. You'll also need to force the process to call setlocale() or similar function. Which, depending on the current state of the process may not be safe.– Kurtis Rader
Dec 1 '18 at 17:33
add a comment |
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Which variable do you want to change and why? Do you have access to the source code of the process?
– Mark Setchell
Nov 30 '18 at 22:07
I want to set SH_AUTH_SOCK and SSH_AGENT_PID variable to a running IntelliJ. I want the run/debug processes will be have that env variables. I know that I can set the env variables of the in the 'edit configuration' before running/debugging the program but the value of these variables is determent by running a script.
– yoni
Dec 2 '18 at 10:16
A technique I have used in the past is to change a value in a config file, and send the process a SIGHUP which causes it to re-read the config file.
– Mark Setchell
Dec 2 '18 at 11:05