Environment variables containing colon not allowed

[MortenChristiansen]

Is this a BUG REPORT or FEATURE REQUEST?:

/kind feature

Problem:
Kubernetes does not support : in environment variables. I can see that the subject has recently been discussed in PR #48986. .NET Core uses : to replace config variables as mentioned in this comment. The limitation in kubernetes requires me to perform some ugly hacks to override the config values.

Proposed Solution:
I'm in favor of the sentiment that kubernetes should not censor environment variables at all, but specifically I would like : to be allowed.

[MortenChristiansen]

@kubernetes/sig-apps-feature-requests

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[mattfarina]

Is the ask here to just support : or all characters allowed in Windows Environment Variables?

I ask because if I read the docs right I can do...

C:\>set _(){}[]$*+-\/"#',;.@!?=xyz

C:\>echo %_(){}[]$*+-\/"#',;.@!?%
xyz

[MortenChristiansen]

For my specific use case I need :. However, my opinion is that Kubernetes should not in any way limit which environment variable names you can use, since it cannot know what an application might need. Since people cannot always choose their own variable names, it can be blocking for Kubernetes adoption. Whether I hit a new character I need "unlocked" tomorrow I do not know, but today the : will allow me to work with .NET application settings as they are intended. Of course there may be any number of important concerns of which I am unaware so I leave the choice to greater minds than my own :)

[ryan-peachey-seon]

Hi, I have encountered this limitation as well. Our apps were initially developed on windows, and use asp.net core for running them in linux now. But the asp.net libraries create environment variables that include :.

[alahijani]

For .Net Core, the current (ugly) workaround is to use double underscores, like Logging__LogLevel__Default instead of Logging:LogLevel:Default.

It's documented here.

[mattfarina]

/sig windows

[michmike]

/assign @bsteciuk

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[bsteciuk]

FYI, I've started work on this issue, limited to just allowing the ':' character in environment variables for now.

[kow3ns]

I don't think we should do this. In Linux ":" is a path separator and completely invalid to use in an POSIX environment variable name. In .NET Core you use "__" in place of ":" in order get the desired configuration functionality to work as documented. I don't see why we should support non-portable naming. This will allow for manifests that only work in windows.

[michmike]

Given that we will not implement this issue, @bsteciuk please update the getting started guide for windows to include this workaround for environment variables. thanks!

[michmike]

/close

[bgrant0607]

I agree with double underscores:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40094998/asp-net-core-environment-variable-colon-in-linux

[thockin]

ACTUALLY, : is a valid character in POSIX. All It says about env variables names (AFAICT) is:

names shall not contain the character '='

It specifies the names that POSIX tools can use, but does not restrict non-POSIX names at all.

Most shells do not support all of the punctuation characters, but C setenv() does:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main() {
        int r = setenv("foo:bar", "value", 1);
        if (r != 0) {
                printf("failed to setenv\n");
                exit(1);
        }
        char *s = getenv("foo:bar");
        printf("getenv = %s\n", s);
}

(BTW, it took me a long time to make that compile because my fingers are used to Go now :)

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/lifecycle rotten

[mohag]

/remove-lifecycle rotten

Pandering to the robotic overlords

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/lifecycle stale

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/lifecycle rotten

[mohag]

/remove-lifecycle rotten

[thockin]

#53201 (comment) is the latest status.

If someone wants to do this, which I support, that's your roadmap. This warrants a KEP, albeit a small one. I wish I had the time to tackle all of these myself, but I just don't.

This should not be a very hard one.

[marosset]

/help

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[alculquicondor]

/remove-sig apps
/sig node
?

[HirazawaUi]

/assign
I will provide a mini KEP for it if no one is working on it yet