Skip to main content
Manage session-level environment variables. Variables set with env are applied to every contree run automatically. Per-run -e flags override session env vars with the same key.

​
Examples

# Set PATH after installing tools
contree env PATH=/root/.cargo/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/sbin

# Set multiple variables
contree env DEBUG=1 DB_HOST=localhost

# List current session env
contree env

# Unset variables
contree env -U PATH
contree env -U DEBUG DB_HOST

# Per-run -e overrides session env
contree run -e DEBUG=0 -- ./app

​
Help output

$ contree env —help
usage: contree env [-h] [-U] [KEY=VALUE …]

Manage session environment variables.

Session env vars are applied to every `contree run` automatically.
Per-run `-e` flags override session env vars with the same key.

positional arguments:
  KEY=VALUE           Environment variables to set (or keys to delete with -d)

options:
  -h, —help          show this help message and exit
  -U, —delete, —rm  Unset the specified environment variables

examples:
  contree env                                  list session env vars
  contree env PATH=/root/.cargo/bin:$PATH      set PATH
  contree env DEBUG=1 DB_HOST=localhost         set multiple
  contree env -U PATH                          unset PATH
  contree env -U PATH DEBUG                    unset multiple

agent note:
  Before using this command in an automated workflow, read:
    contree agent

​
Behavior

Session env vars are stored in SQLite per session. They persist across terminal restarts (when using -S or CONTREE_SESSION). When contree run builds the payload, it merges:
  1. Session env vars (base)
  2. Per-run -e flags (override)
Deleting a session (session delete) removes its env vars. Values with = in them work correctly — only the first = is the separator: contree env CMD=a=b=c sets CMD to a=b=c.