Setting OpenStack environment variables

Objective

By setting OpenStack environment variables on your desktop, you can use the OpenStack API to manage your infrastructure.

Requirements

• Access to the OVHcloud Control Panel
• An OpenStack user account
• OpenStack installed on your system

Instructions

Step 1: Retrieve the variables

To retrieve your environment variables, you can download the OpenRC file from the OpenStack user account you have created.

Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel, go to the Public Cloud section, and select the Public Cloud project concerned.

In the left-hand menu, click on Users & Roles under Settings. Next, click on the ... to the right of your user, then select Download OpenStack's RC file.

An OpenRC file corresponds to a specific user and zone. You cannot manage multiple zones in the same file.

Step 2: Set the variables

On Linux

• Open a terminal, or connect via the user who will be making the OpenStack API calls.
• Load the file’s contents in the current environment. You will then be prompted to enter the Horizon user password.

admin@remote_host:~$ source openrc.sh
Please enter your OpenStack Password:

As outlined in this guide, the password is only visible once — when it is created.

If you forget your password, you will need to reset it.

If the CLIs are already installed, check if they are working properly:

(env)$ openstack server list
+--------------------------------------+------------+--------+-----------------------------------------------+-----------+--------+
| ID                                   | Name       | Status | Networks                                      | Image     | Flavor |
+--------------------------------------+------------+--------+-----------------------------------------------+-----------+--------+
| 8d7c67c0-38e1-4091-88d5-c14844c1f455 | b2-7-gra11 | ACTIVE | Ext-Net=2001:xxxx:xxx:xxx::xxxx, xx.xxx.xx.xx | Debian 12 | b2-7   |
+--------------------------------------+------------+--------+-----------------------------------------------+-----------+--------+

On Windows

The OpenRC file is not designed to be launched on Windows.

There are two ways of setting environment variables:

• You will need to adapt the file by changing certain commands. The export part can be replaced with set:

set OS_PASSWORD="Your Horizon user password"

• You can set the variables directly via the system settings: Control Panel > System > Advanced System Properties > Environment Variables:

Go further

To learn how to use OpenStack: OpenStack documentation

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