Modify current environment within python script

Question

I would like to create a python tool for dynamically setting up my environment. I would like to be able to do the following.

$ echo $FOO
$ ./foo.py
$ echo $FOO
bar

If this is possible I would greatly appreciate assistance getting this working.

Answer 1

It's impossible (because the Python process has its own environment). You can (though it might not be worthwhile) write a script whose output is commands for bash, and then write eval "$(./foo.py)".

• slaughter98: Thanks, this is what I thought. Thanks for confirming, I guess it is time for me to learn bash.
• Davis Herring: If, say, it's always (and only) FOO you want to modify, you can write export FOO=$(./foo.py) and not learn any more bash.