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It seems like my mathematica environment variables are missing altogether!

MATHEMATICA_BASE for a start. But, oddly enough the GetEnvironment function returns complete output including MATHEMATICA_BASE.

However windows console:

echo %MATHEMATICA_BASE%

%MATHEMATICA_BASE%

I installed 10_4 and 11 for some reverse compatibility, does that have anything to do with it? I'm on 8.1 x64 enterprise.

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  • $\begingroup$ Well, MATHEMATICA_BASE for a start. But, oddly enough the GetEnvironment function returns complete output including MATHEMATICA_BASE. But windows console "echo %MATHEMATICA_BASE%" returns "%MATHEMATICA_BASE%" $\endgroup$ – jamesson Jan 11 '17 at 8:42
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    $\begingroup$ If you don't create an environment variable, it won't exist. If you did not create MATHEMATICA_BASE yourself, it won't be there. Programs can modify their own environment. This does not affect the global environment, only that one process's environment. Mathematica does modify its environment variables. This is why you don't see the exact same environment from Mathematica as from a shell. $\endgroup$ – Szabolcs Jan 11 '17 at 9:40
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Processes can modify their environment and make it different from the global one. Mathematica does modify its environment: it adds MATHEMATICA_BASE, modifies PATH, and possible other environment variables as well. This is why you see different environment variables from within Mathematica than from a shell.

MATHEMATICA_BASE does not exist outside of Mathematica unless you set it yourself. If you do set it, Mathematica will detect that and will make use of that value.

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