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Print the pixi environment activation script. You can source the script to activate the environment without needing pixi itself.

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Usage

pixi shell-hook [OPTIONS]

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Options

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--shell
string
Sets the shell for which to generate the activation script.Options: bash, zsh, xonsh, cmd, powershell, fish, nushellIf not specified, pixi will auto-detect the shell from the parent process or environment.
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--manifest-path
path
The path to the pixi.toml or pyproject.toml file.
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--frozen
boolean
Install the environment as defined in the lockfile, without updating it.
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--locked
boolean
Check if the lockfile is up-to-date before installing the environment. Errors if the lockfile is out-of-date.
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--environment
string
The environment to activate in the script.
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--json
boolean
Emit the environment variables set by running the activation as JSON.This option is mutually exclusive with --shell.
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--no-install
boolean
Don’t install the environment, only generate the activation script.
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--change-ps1
boolean
default:"true"
Include prompt modification in the activation script (can be configured in the global config).

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Examples

pixi shell-hook

pixi shell-hook --shell bash

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Source the activation script

eval "$(pixi shell-hook)"

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Get environment variables as JSON

pixi shell-hook --json
Output: 
{
  "environment_variables": {
    "PATH": "/path/to/env/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
    "CONDA_PREFIX": "/path/to/env",
    "PIXI_ENVIRONMENT_NAME": "default",
    "PIXI_PROJECT_ROOT": "/path/to/project"
  }
}

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Activate environment in a specific shell

# Generate bash activation script
pixi shell-hook --shell bash > activate.sh

# Source it later
source activate.sh

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Use Cases

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CI/CD Integration

Activate pixi environments in CI without keeping pixi in the PATH: 
- name: Activate environment
  run: eval "$(pixi shell-hook)"

- name: Run tests
  run: pytest

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Custom Shell Integration

Integrate pixi activation into your shell’s RC file: 
# In ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
if [ -f "pixi.toml" ]; then
  eval "$(pixi shell-hook)"
fi

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Docker Containers

Activate environments in Docker without keeping the pixi binary: 
RUN pixi install
RUN pixi shell-hook > /activate.sh

CMD ["/bin/bash", "-c", "source /activate.sh && python app.py"]

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Environment Variable Inspection

Inspect what environment variables pixi sets: 
pixi shell-hook --json | jq '.environment_variables'

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Supported Shells

The command generates activation scripts for:
  • bash - Bourne Again Shell
  • zsh - Z Shell
  • fish - Friendly Interactive Shell
  • xonsh - Python-powered shell
  • powershell - PowerShell (Windows/Unix)
  • cmd - Windows Command Prompt
  • nushell - A new type of shell
If --shell is not specified, pixi will attempt to detect your shell from the parent process or environment variables.

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JSON Output Format

When using --json, the output contains: 
{
  "environment_variables": {
    "PATH": "...",
    "CONDA_PREFIX": "...",
    "PIXI_ENVIRONMENT_NAME": "...",
    "PIXI_PROJECT_ROOT": "...",
    // ... other environment variables
  }
}
This format is useful for:
  • Parsing in scripts
  • IDE integrations
  • Debugging environment setups

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Differences from pixi shell

  • pixi shell-hook prints the activation script
  • pixi shell executes an interactive shell
  • Both activate the same environment
  • shell-hook is useful for integration scenarios where you need the raw activation commands
Use pixi shell-hook --json to inspect exactly what environment variables pixi sets, which is helpful for debugging and integration work.

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