DeepSeek TUI environment variables matter because they often decide which config wins at runtime

Users usually search this topic after a file change failed, a provider mismatch remained, or the same setup behaved differently across shells and machines.

Why variables create confusion

Environment variables feel invisible once they are exported in a shell profile, CI environment, or launcher. That is why they become a common source of “nothing changed” reports after users edit the visible config file.

What to inspect

Which shell profile exports credentials or endpoints?
Are you comparing two terminals with different startup files?
Do your file-based settings and variable-based settings conflict?