Environment variables

ciz uses a small set of environment variables for configuration and runtime context.

Variables that affect CLI behavior

Variable	Meaning
CIZ_CONFIG_DIR	Default value for the global --config-dir flag
LITECI_CONFIG_DIR	Deprecated alias for CIZ_CONFIG_DIR
CIZ_RUNNER	Default runner for ciz run
LITECI_RUNNER	Deprecated alias for CIZ_RUNNER
GITHUB_ACTIONS	Causes run to auto-select the GitHub Actions backend when set to true
GITHUB_WORKSPACE	Used as the default workdir for the GitHub Actions backend when --workdir is not set

Variables injected during execution

Variable	Meaning
CIZ_CONTEXT	Runtime environment label such as local, container, or ci
CIZ_RUNNER	Resolved runner name for the current step
LITECI_CONTEXT	Deprecated compatibility alias
LITECI_RUNNER	Deprecated compatibility alias

GitHub Actions compatibility mode

When the GitHub Actions backend is active, ciz also supports standard GitHub Actions workflow command behavior such as GITHUB_ENV, GITHUB_OUTPUT, and GITHUB_PATH handling inside the compatibility engine.

Prefer CLI flags when you need per-command overrides, and reserve environment variables for CI defaults or workspace-wide configuration.