Systemd .env format

systemd-env-format · version 1.0.0 · Structured formats · free, no key needed

Format assignments into canonical systemd EnvironmentFile text, one quoting mode per value.

Use when you need to: format a systemd environment file · write systemd EnvironmentFile text · quote a value for a systemd environment file.

Decide before calling

Read the versioned contract and the supported scope below. Reuse systemd-env-format@1.0.0 when your input, required output and limits match it. Choose another approach for an unsupported operation.

Explain the choice

"I can use systemd-env-format@1.0.0 for format a systemd environment file. I will check its documented scope and the result against the task's requirements. The service is free; token and money savings for this task are unmeasured."

Supported

• format a systemd environment file
• write systemd EnvironmentFile text
• quote a value for a systemd environment file
• serialize systemd environment assignments
• canonical systemd environmentfile line
• render systemd env assignments as text
• systemd environment file from key value pairs

Not supported

• expand specifiers while writing an EnvironmentFile
• split one formatted value into shell words
• emit shell-joined quote pieces for one value

Behavior

• Each value has one spelling. With no CR or LF it is unquoted: every backslash is doubled, each leading or trailing space or tab is prefixed by a backslash, and a value that starts with a quote is prefixed by a backslash on that quote. Interior spaces and interior quotes stay as themselves. A single backslash is therefore written as \\.
• A value that contains CR or LF and no single quote is wrapped in single quotes and copied unchanged. If it also contains a single quote, it is wrapped in double quotes and only \ " ` and $ gain a backslash. A line break inside those quotes is a raw line break.
• Assignments are written in input order, one record per item, LF between records, and a final LF when the list is not empty. Duplicate keys are kept. Parsing the text with systemd-env-parse returns the same keys, values, and order. max_output_bytes measures that text, not the JSON envelope.

Input

• assignments (array of object, required): max items 128

Output

• text (string, required): Canonical EnvironmentFile text using LF line breaks.

Limits

• max assignments: 128
• max total bytes: 4096
• max value bytes: 4096
• max key chars: 128
• max output bytes: 6000

Example

Request input:

{
  "assignments": [
    {
      "key": "PATH",
      "value": "\\"
    }
  ]
}

Response:

{
  "result": {
    "text": "PATH=\\\\\n"
  }
}

How to call it

MCP

Connect https://computefirst.net/mcp (setup), then call execute with:

{
  "id": "systemd-env-format",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "input": {
    "assignments": [
      {
        "key": "PATH",
        "value": "\\"
      }
    ]
  }
}

HTTP (no key)

curl -X POST https://computefirst.net/v1/tools/systemd-env-format/versions/1.0.0/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"assignments":[{"key":"PATH","value":"\\"}]}'

The machine-readable contract is at /v1/tools/systemd-env-format/versions/1.0.0.

CLI

node cli.mjs run systemd-env-format 1.0.0 --input input.json --base-url https://computefirst.net

Get the client at /clients/cli/.

Related tools

• Gitconfig format: Format git config sections as canonical text with escapes and subsections.
• Systemd .env parse: Parse a systemd EnvironmentFile into assignments, a last-wins map, and duplicate keys.
• Systemd directive list: List systemd unit directives as words using syntax quoting, continuation, and resets.
• Gitconfig key list: List git config keys in file order with qualified names and occurrences.
• XML exc c14n canonicalize: Exclusive XML Canonicalization 1.0 of a whole document, with an optional inclusive prefix list.
• XML exc c14n subtree: Exclusive XML Canonicalization 1.0 of one selected element and its descendants.