Quick export script help needed...

[MikeyXX]

Hi, I don't want to put my http_proxy and ftp_proxy environment variables in to run everytime someone logs in. I want the ability to run a script when I need the proxy changed. How would I do it? I currently run:

export http_proxy="blahblahblah"

at the prompt and then again for the ft_proxy. I thought I could put each of these in a file and then rightclick and make it executable and then run sh proxy.sh or something and have it work. When I do, I get no response (which is normal) but it doesn't actually export it to an environmental variable, I think it's just doing so for it's session. Any suggestion?

[LordHunter317]

Yeah, put the variables in your ~/.bashrc so they're global to every shell you run.

Otherwise, you'll have to type them in manually.

You can write a script containing the commands and source it to have it affect the current running shell, but that won't affect other processes.

[MikeyXX]

Yeah, put the variables in your ~/.bashrc so they're global to every shell you run.

Otherwise, you'll have to type them in manually.

You can write a script containing the commands and source it to have it affect the current running shell, but that won't affect other processes.
I'm ok with the script. I knew about the bashrc, but I use my machine mostly where there is no proxy. How could I script the commands so I don't have to manual put them in?

[cwaldbieser]

The short answer is you can't. You can only export shell variables to child processes. The closest you could do would be to have a script with the export commands in it, and then just "$ source your_init_script". Then command you run from that shell would have the proxy variables exported to it.

Another way might be to set up your login shell to bring up a menu that lets you choose whether or not to set those values when you log in. You would have to makes sure it only happens for an interactive shell, though...

[MikeyXX]

The short answer is you can't. You can only export shell variables to child processes. The closest you could do would be to have a script with the export commands in it, and then just "$ source your_init_script". Then command you run from that shell would have the proxy variables exported to it.

Another way might be to set up your login shell to bring up a menu that lets you choose whether or not to set those values when you log in. You would have to makes sure it only happens for an interactive shell, though...
menu idea is a good one. Is there a website that would be good to walk me though how to set up a menu option? I can do it in a .cmd in windows, but I don't know what it would be here.

[cwaldbieser]

menu idea is a good one. Is there a website that would be good to walk me though how to set up a menu option? I can do it in a .cmd in windows, but I don't know what it would be here.

This site looks OK: http://wiki.sblug.org/Bash_Menu_Program

You want to make sure that this menu would only be started for an interactive shell. I am not 100% certain off the top of my head, but I think you would want to run the menu from your ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bash_login file.

If you want to get really fancy, you could even try to do a graphical front end if you detect an X display. This could be done with python & Tkinter or even maybe a shell script and Xmessage.

A simple console menu is the ideal fallback, though. It works just about everywhere.