debug-env-variables

Bash's .bashrc contains a `case $- in *i*)` guard that returns early for non-interactive shells, so exports placed after it are invisible to scripts. Move exports before the guard or set BASH_ENV to load them in non-interactive shells.

The bash -c shell spawned by subprocess.run does not source .bashrc, and nested quoting can consume exports before Python sees them. Use a file-based fallback where Python reads a .api_key file when os.environ is empty, or pass variables explicitly via the env parameter.

No, .bashrc exports are unreliable for automated processes like CI, cron, and subprocesses because non-interactive shells may never source it. Use /etc/environment or a file-based credential fallback instead, and never store secrets in .bashrc.

Test the variable at each layer: interactive shell with echo, non-interactive with bash -c, after sourcing .bashrc, and inside Python via os.environ. The layer where it vanishes identifies the cause: the .bashrc guard, a quoting boundary, or the variable never being set.

A file-based fallback is the most reliable approach: store the key in a gitignored file like .api_key and have the application read it when os.environ is empty. For system-wide coverage with root access, /etc/environment is read by all PAM-authenticated sessions.