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P4 CLI Documentation | 2026.1

# P4ENVIRO

Contains the non-default path and name of a configuration file that stores P4 Server environment variables.

## Usage notes

Used by Client? | Used by Server? | Command-Line Alternative | Can be set in P4CONFIG file?
--- | --- | --- | ---
Yes | No | `none` | No

## Value if not explicitly set

Operating System | Value
--- | ---
Windows, macOS | None
POSIX/Unix | `$HOME/.p4enviro`

## Notes

The file specified by `P4ENVIRO` contains the same kind of information as the file specified by `P4CONFIG`. The difference is that the `P4CONFIG` variable contains just the file name of a configuration file for which the system searches through successive parent directories. The `P4ENVIRO` variable contains the exact location of a configuration file if it is not at its default location. For Windows and macOS platforms, the `P4ENVIRO` variable must be explicitly set if you have values stored in a configuration file you mean to use across projects.

Each line in the `P4ENVIRO` file is used to define one variable. The definition takes the form ``variable`=`value``.

You can use both `P4ENVIRO` and `P4CONFIG` files to define environment variables: use the `P4CONFIG` file for those variables that have different values for different workspaces and the `P4ENVIRO` file for those variables that remain constant for all projects.

Values set in a `P4CONFIG` file override those set in a `P4ENVIRO` file.

Setting `P4ENVIRO` on Windows will cause `p4 set` to store values in the specified environment file rather than in the Windows registry.

## Examples

A sample `P4ENVIRO` file might contain the following line:

    P4_myServer:1667_CHARSET=auto

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