Set environment variables from file of key/value pairs

This might be helpful:

export $(cat .env | xargs) && rails c

Reason why I use this is if I want to test .env stuff in my rails console.

gabrielf came up with a good way to keep the variables local. This solves the potential problem when going from project to project.

env $(cat .env | xargs) rails

I've tested this with bash 3.2.51(1)-release

Update:

To ignore lines that start with #, use this (thanks to Pete's comment):

export $(grep -v '^#' .env | xargs)

And if you want to unset all of the variables defined in the file, use this:

unset $(grep -v '^#' .env | sed -E 's/(.*)=.*/\1/' | xargs)

Update:

To also handle values with spaces, use:

export $(grep -v '^#' .env | xargs -d '\n')

on GNU systems -- or:

export $(grep -v '^#' .env | xargs -0)

on BSD systems.

From this answer you can auto-detect the OS with this:

export-env.sh

#!/bin/sh

## Usage:
##   . ./export-env.sh ; $COMMAND
##   . ./export-env.sh ; echo ${MINIENTREGA_FECHALIMITE}

unamestr=$(uname)
if [ "$unamestr" = 'Linux' ]; then

  export $(grep -v '^#' .env | xargs -d '\n')

elif [ "$unamestr" = 'FreeBSD' ]; then

  export $(grep -v '^#' .env | xargs -0)

fi

-o allexport enables all following variable definitions to be exported. +o allexport disables this feature.

set -o allexport
source conf-file
set +o allexport

Problem with your approach is the export in the while loop is happening in a sub shell, and those variable will not be available in current shell (parent shell of while loop).

Add export command in the file itself:

export MINIENTREGA_FECHALIMITE="2011-03-31"
export MINIENTREGA_FICHEROS="informe.txt programa.c"
export MINIENTREGA_DESTINO="./destino/entrega-prac1"

Then you need to source in the file in current shell using:

. ./conf/prac1

OR

source ./conf/prac1

set -a
. ./env.txt
set +a

If env.txt is like:

VAR1=1
VAR2=2
VAR3=3
...

Explanations -a is equivalent to allexport. In other words, every variable assignment in the shell is exported into the environment (to be used by multiple child processes). More information can be found in the Set builtin documentation:

-a     Each variable or function that is created or modified is given the export attribute and marked for export to the environment of subsequent commands.

Using ‘+’ rather than ‘-’ causes these options to be turned off. The options can also be used upon invocation of the shell. The current set of options may be found in $-.