workEnv

workEnv is a lightweight, object-oriented framework and command-line interface (wenv) designed to easily create, configure, and switch between isolated 'dev' environments on a single workstation.

Instead of running heavy virtual machines or container layers, workEnv implements user-space, chroot-like environment isolation. It creates a dedicated directory tree for each environment and spawns custom, isolated Bash subshells. Within these subshells, paths (PATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, MANPATH, etc.), environment variables, prompt labels, and local startup profiles are dynamically configured and isolated.

• Requirements
• Getting Started
• Working with 'dev' Environments as Chroots
• Customizing Configurations & Environments
• Command Reference
• Environment Variables
• License

To use workEnv, your workstation should meet the following requirements:

• Shell: Bash (highly recommended as the interactive shell)
• Ruby: Version 2.7 or higher

Add the following snippet to your ~/.bashrc to make the wenv executable accessible globally and load smart command-line auto-completion:

export WORK_ENV_SCRIPTS_DIR=${WORK_ENV_SCRIPTS_DIR:-/path/to/workEnv/git/}
if [ -d "${WORK_ENV_SCRIPTS_DIR}" ]; then
   export PATH="${WORK_ENV_SCRIPTS_DIR}/bin${PATH:+:$PATH}"
   if [ -f "${WORK_ENV_SCRIPTS_DIR}/workrc-completion.sh" ]; then
        . "${WORK_ENV_SCRIPTS_DIR}/workrc-completion.sh"
   fi
fi

By default, workEnv looks for environments in /work1/$(whoami)/work-envs. You can customize this storage root by setting the WORK_ENVS environment variable in your shell profile:

export WORK_ENVS="/your/custom/envs/path"

A 'dev' environment is an empty, clean base chroot directory that is initialized without external packages or dependencies. This allows you to construct custom toolchains or development paths from scratch.

Initialize a new empty development environment:

wenv create --name my-chroot --type dev

This creates a dedicated environment folder at ${WORK_ENVS}/my-chroot/.

Once the directory is created, you can manually populate it. For example, you can copy or install custom compiler versions, custom compiled libraries, or specific toolchains under ${WORK_ENVS}/my-chroot/bin/ and ${WORK_ENVS}/my-chroot/lib/.

To activate and enter your customized environment:

wenv switch my-chroot

This spawns a new interactive Bash subshell configured specifically for that environment. Under the hood:

• It dynamically generates an isolated .switch_env profile within the environment folder.
• It overrides path definitions to prioritize the environment's folders (PATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, MANPATH, etc.).
• It prepends the environment's name to your terminal prompt (e.g. [my-chroot] user@host:~$) to make the active scope clear.
• Typing exit (or pressing Ctrl+D) cleanly exits the subshell and returns you to your standard host environment.

When you switch into an environment, workEnv triggers a startup profile loading lifecycle. You can configure custom hooks, environment variables, or aliases at different levels:

• Global profile: Create and modify ~/.config/workEnv/bashrcs/.bashrc to execute startup hooks whenever any environment is loaded.
• Environment-specific profile: Create and modify ~/.config/workEnv/bashrcs/<env_name> (e.g., ~/.config/workEnv/bashrcs/my-chroot) to execute hooks and export custom configurations only when entering that specific environment.

Global configurations and parameters are stored inside $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/workEnv/ (defaulting to ~/.config/workEnv/).

You can customize the framework behavior using the wenv config action:

If you have chroot environments stored outside your main WORK_ENVS directory, you can register custom mappings:

wenv config --custom-env-dirs label1=/path/to/custom/dir,my-sandbox=/home/user/sandbox --save-config

Skip confirmation checks before removing environments:

wenv config --no-confirm-delete --save-config

To inspect active settings:

wenv config --show-config

This project is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License Version 3 (GPL-3.0-or-later). See the LICENSE file for the full terms and conditions.