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---
title: Define Environment Variables for a Container
content_template: templates/task
weight: 20
---
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This page shows how to define environment variables for a container
in a Kubernetes Pod.
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{{< include "task-tutorial-prereqs.md" >}} {{< version-check >}}
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## Define an environment variable for a container
When you create a Pod, you can set environment variables for the containers
that run in the Pod. To set environment variables, include the `env` or
`envFrom` field in the configuration file.
In this exercise, you create a Pod that runs one container. The configuration
file for the Pod defines an environment variable with name `DEMO_GREETING` and
value `"Hello from the environment"`. Here is the configuration file for the
Pod:
{{< codenew file="pods/inject/envars.yaml" >}}
1. Create a Pod based on the YAML configuration file:
```shell
kubectl apply -f https://k8s.io/examples/pods/inject/envars.yaml
```
1. List the running Pods:
```shell
kubectl get pods -l purpose=demonstrate-envars
```
The output is similar to this:
```
NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE
envar-demo 1/1 Running 0 9s
```
1. Get a shell to the container running in your Pod:
```shell
kubectl exec -it envar-demo -- /bin/bash
```
1. In your shell, run the `printenv` command to list the environment variables.
```shell
root@envar-demo:/# printenv
```
The output is similar to this:
```
NODE_VERSION=4.4.2
EXAMPLE_SERVICE_PORT_8080_TCP_ADDR=10.3.245.237
HOSTNAME=envar-demo
...
DEMO_GREETING=Hello from the environment
DEMO_FAREWELL=Such a sweet sorrow
```
1. To exit the shell, enter `exit`.
{{< note >}}
The environment variables set using the `env` or `envFrom` field
will override any environment variables specified in the container image.
{{< /note >}}
## Using environment variables inside of your config
Environment variables that you define in a Pod's configuration can be used elsewhere in the configuration, for example in commands and arguments that you set for the Pod's containers. In the example configuration below, the `GREETING`, `HONORIFIC`, and `NAME` environment variables are set to `Warm greetings to`, `The Most Honorable`, and `Kubernetes`, respectively. Those environment variables are then used in the CLI arguments passed to the `env-print-demo` container.
```yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
name: print-greeting
spec:
containers:
- name: env-print-demo
image: bash
env:
- name: GREETING
value: "Warm greetings to"
- name: HONORIFIC
value: "The Most Honorable"
- name: NAME
value: "Kubernetes"
command: ["echo"]
args: ["$(GREETING) $(HONORIFIC) $(NAME)"]
```
Upon creation, the command `echo Warm greetings to The Most Honorable Kubernetes` is run on the container.
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* Learn more about [environment variables](/docs/tasks/inject-data-application/environment-variable-expose-pod-information/).
* Learn about [using secrets as environment variables](/docs/user-guide/secrets/#using-secrets-as-environment-variables).
* See [EnvVarSource](/docs/reference/generated/kubernetes-api/{{< param "version" >}}/#envvarsource-v1-core).
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