# Environment Variables The command-line client and the client bindings use a set of environment variables to communicate with the API server and to store state on the current default project and directory. These settings are set when you run `dx login` and can be changed through other `dx` commands. To display the active settings in human-readable format, use the `dx env` command: ```shell $ dx env Auth token used adLTkSNkjxoAerREqbB1dVkspQzCOuug API server protocol https API server host api.dnanexus.com API server port 443 Current workspace project-9zVpbQf4Zg2641v5BGY00001 Current workspace name "Scratch Project" Current folder / Current user alice ``` To print the bash commands for setting the environment variables to match what `dx` is using, you can run the same command with the `--bash` flag. ```shell $ dx env --bash export DX_SECURITY_CONTEXT='{"auth_token_type": "bearer", "auth_token": "adLTkSNkjxoAerREqbB1dVkspQzCOuug"}' export DX_APISERVER_PROTOCOL=https export DX_APISERVER_HOST=api.dnanexus.com export DX_APISERVER_PORT=443 export DX_PROJECT_CONTEXT_ID=project-9zVpbQf4Zg2641v5BGY00001 ``` Running a `dx` command from the command-line does not (and cannot) overwrite your shell's environment variables. The environment variables are stored in the `~/.dnanexus_config/environment.json` file. ## Configuration File Prioritization The following is an ordered list of which DNAnexus utilities load values from configuration sources: 1. Command line options (if available) 2. Environment variables already set in the shell 3. `~/.dnanexus_config/environment.json` (`dx` configuration file) 4. Hardcoded defaults ### Overriding the `dx` Configuration File The `dx` command **always** prioritizes the environment variables that are set in the shell. This means that if you have set your environment variable for `DX_SECURITY_CONTEXT` and then use `dx login` to log in as a different user, it still uses the original environment variable. When not run in a script, it prints a warning to `stderr` whenever the environment variables and its stored state have a mismatch. To get out of this situation, the best approach is often to run `source ~/.dnanexus_config/unsetenv`. Setting environment variables is used within a shell script or as part of a job environment in the cloud. In the interaction below, environment variables have already been set, but the user then uses `dx` to log in which is still overridden by the shell's environment variables. ```shell $ dx ls -l Project: Sample Project (project-9zVpbQf4Zg2641v5BGY00001) Folder : / $ dx login Acquiring credentials from https://auth.dnanexus.com Username: alice Password: Note: Use "dx select --level VIEW" or "dx select --public" to select from projects for which you only have VIEW permissions. Available projects: 0) SAM importer test (CONTRIBUTE) 1) Scratch Project (ADMINISTER) 2) Mouse (ADMINISTER) Pick a numbered choice [1]: 2 Setting current project to: Mouse $ dx ls WARNING: The following environment variables were found to be different than the values last stored by dx: DX_SECURITY_CONTEXT, DX_PROJECT_CONTEXT_ID To use the values stored by dx, unset the environment variables in your shell by running "source ~/.dnanexus_config/unsetenv". To clear the dx-stored values, run "dx clearenv". Project: Sample Project (project-9zVpbQf4Zg2641v5BGY00001) Folder : / $ source ~/.dnanexus_config/unsetenv $ dx ls -l Project: Mouse (project-9zVpbQf4Zg2641v5BGY00002) Folder : / ``` #### Clearing dx-set Variables If you instead want to discard the values which `dx` has stored, the command `dx clearenv` removes the `dx`-generated configuration file `~/.dnanexus_config/environment.json` for you. ### Command Line Options Most `dx` commands have the following additional flags to temporarily override the values of the respective variables. ```shell $ dx --env-help usage: dx command ... [--apiserver-host APISERVER_HOST] [--apiserver-port APISERVER_PORT] [--apiserver-protocol APISERVER_PROTOCOL] [--project-context-id PROJECT_CONTEXT_ID] [--workspace-id WORKSPACE_ID] [--security-context SECURITY_CONTEXT] [--auth-token AUTH_TOKEN] optional arguments: --apiserver-host APISERVER_HOST API server host --apiserver-port APISERVER_PORT API server port --apiserver-protocol APISERVER_PROTOCOL API server protocol (http or https) --project-context-id PROJECT_CONTEXT_ID Default project or project context ID --workspace-id WORKSPACE_ID Workspace ID (for jobs only) --security-context SECURITY_CONTEXT JSON string of security context --auth-token AUTH_TOKEN Authentication token ``` For example, you can temporarily override the current default project used: ```shell $ dx env --project-context-id project-B0VK6F6gpqG6z7JGkbqQ000Q Auth token used R54BN6Ws6Zl3Y0VqBA9o1qweUswYW5o4 API server protocol https API server host api.dnanexus.com API server port 443 Current workspace project-B0VK6F6gpqG6z7JGkbqQ000Q Current folder / ``` --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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