direnv

direnv is a tool that allows you to automatically load and unload environment variables based on the current directory. It works by looking for a .envrc file in the current directory and its parent directories, and then executing the commands in that file to set up the environment.¹

It’s mechanism of action is to create a bash sub-shell that inherits the environment of the parent shell, and then executes the commands in the .envrc file. When you leave the directory, it unloads the environment variables that were set up.

I use direnv on my NixOS machines, specifically for Tauri development.

Footnotes

1. https://direnv.net/. Accessed 31 May 2026. ↩