Environment variables set in launchd will be available to all programs on the system. However since $HOME/.launchd.conf is not supported, this approach is used for global environment variables only.

Environment variables that are set in ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist are available to all applications, not just the Terminal, however it can only set user specific environment variables.

The process of setting environment variables in the Terminal will be familiar to those with experience with Linux or UNIX. It involves editing files in /etc for global environment variables, and in your home directory for user specific environment variables.

Here we will talk about some things you’ll need for setting environment variables in Mac OS X.

There are a number of ways of setting environment variables in Mac OS X. We will show the different approaches and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each.

• With the Terminal Only approach, you can set system wide and user specific environment variables, however it can only be used in the Terminal.
• With ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist all programs can use these environment variables, but can only set user specific environment variables, and a log out and back in is required. Not supported in Mac OS X 10.8 and later.
• With /etc/launchd.conf all programs can use these environment variables, but can only set system wide environment variables, and a reboot is required. Not supported in Mac OS X 10.10 and later.
• With launchd.plist, the same things can be accomplished as with /etc/launchd.conf but formatted in an XML document.

Parts of this series

• HowTo: Set an Environment Variable in Mac OS X
• HowTo: Set an Environment Variable in Mac OS X - Prerequisites
• HowTo: Set an Environment Variable in Mac OS X - Terminal Only
• HowTo: Set an Environment Variable in Mac OS X - $HOME/.MacOSX/environment.plist
• HowTo: Set an Environment Variable in Mac OS X - /etc/launchd.conf
• HowTo: Set an Environment Variable in Mac OS X - launchd.plist