---
title: Known Environment Variables
+category: Interfaces
+layout: default
---
# Known Environment Variables
debugging, in order to test generators and other code against specific kernel
command lines.
-* `$SYSTEMD_EFI_OPTIONS` — if set, used instead of the string in SystemdOptions
- EFI variable. Analogous to `$SYSTEMD_PROC_CMDLINE`.
+* `$SYSTEMD_FSTAB` — if set, use this path instead of /etc/fstab. Only useful
+ for debugging.
+
+* `$SYSTEMD_CRYPTTAB` — if set, use this path instead of /etc/crypttab. Only
+ useful for debugging. Currently only supported by systemd-cryptsetup-generator.
+
+* `$SYSTEMD_EFI_OPTIONS` — if set, used instead of the string in the
+ SystemdOptions EFI variable. Analogous to `$SYSTEMD_PROC_CMDLINE`.
* `$SYSTEMD_IN_INITRD` — takes a boolean. If set, overrides initrd detection.
This is useful for debugging and testing initrd-only programs in the main
this only controls use of Unicode emoji glyphs, and has no effect on other
Unicode glyphs.
+* `$RUNTIME_DIRECTORY` — various tools use this variable to locate the
+ appropriate path under /run. This variable is also set by the manager when
+ RuntimeDirectory= is used, see systemd.exec(5).
+
+* `$SYSTEMD_CRYPT_PREFIX` — if set configures the hash method prefix to use for
+ UNIX crypt() when generating passwords. By default the system's "preferred
+ method" is used, but this can be overridden with this environment
+ variable. Takes a prefix such as `$6$` or `$y$`. (Note that this is only
+ honoured on systems built with libxcrypt and is ignored on systems using
+ glibc's original, internal crypt() implementation.)
+
systemctl:
* `$SYSTEMCTL_FORCE_BUS=1` — if set, do not connect to PID1's private D-Bus
boot loader menu through EFI a file `/run/systemd/reboot-to-boot-loader-menu`
is created whenever this is requested. The file contains the requested boot
loader menu timeout in µs, formatted in ASCII decimals, or zero in case no
- time-out is requested. This file may be checked for by services run during
+ timeout is requested. This file may be checked for by services run during
system shutdown in order to request the appropriate operation from the boot
loader in an alternative fashion.