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P4 CLI Documentation | 2025.1

# Configure a client workspace

A P4 Server client workspace is a set of directories on your computer where you work on file revisions that are managed by P4 Server. Each workspace is given a name that identifies the client workspace to the P4 Server. If no workspace name is specified (by setting the `P4CLIENT` environment variable) the default workspace name is the name of your computer. To specify the effective workspace name, set the `P4CLIENT` environment variable. You can have multiple workspaces on your computer.

All files within a P4 Server client workspace share a root directory, called the client workspace root. The workspace root is the highest-level directory of the workspace under which the managed source files reside.

If you configure multiple workspaces on the same computer, keep workspace locations separate to avoid inadvertently overwriting files. Ensure that client roots are located in different folders and that their workspace views do not map depot files to overlapping locations on your computer.

Although Windows-based systems do not have a root directory, P4 Server supports — via the concept of a null root — workspaces spread across multiple drives and/or a disjoint folder with only `c:\` as the root.

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