How to access OS environment variable from shiny app's server.R

[jasminemv]

I am getting blank when accessing OS environment variable USER from app's server.R installed on shiny server.
output$textoutput=renderText(paste("user name is ",Sys.getenv(c("USER"))))

The variable is available on bash prompt.
I tried exporting the variable as well.

[adam83]

Hi Jasmin, I was trying to recreate your request and it should work based on your mentioned code-snippet.

Best regards
Adam

P.S. Below is a short example:

library(shiny)

ui <- fluidPage(
  #display your 'textoutput'
  textOutput("textoutput")
)

server <- function(input, output, session){
  #get your user name based on 'Sys.getenv' (static object)
  user.name <- paste0("user name is ",Sys.getenv(c("USER")))
  #test user.name easy by printing on console
  print(user.name)
  
  #create UI output object 
  output$textoutput <- renderText({
    user.name
  })
}

shinyApp(ui, server)

[jasminemv]

Thanks for confirming Adam, I will have to find why I am getting a blank

[cderv]

@jasminemv

installed on shiny server.

For security reason, a shiny that runs in a shiny server does not see all the environment variable of the system. It is like a sandbox process.

A discussion on this:

Sorry, this isn't possible today. We scrub most environment variables before launching R, in case there is sensitive information in them

Renviron.site or .Renviron in you app is a way to pass environment variable, but it could not apply in your case.

[jasminemv]

This helps, thank you