Powershell: PSCore6 - $env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE variable missing cross-plaform.

[MaximoTrinidad]

Any reason why the $env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE was left out? I think is useful.
This is missing in both Linux and MacOS PSCore6.

Steps to reproduce

Execute the following command in either Linux or MacOS PSCore and the variable is missing.

dir env:

Expected behavior

This variable $env:PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE to exist

Actual behavior

No provided in non-Windows OS.

Environment data

CentOS:

PS /home/maxt> cat /etc/os-release                                                                                                  
NAME="CentOS Linux"
VERSION="7 (Core)"
ID="centos"
ID_LIKE="rhel fedora"
VERSION_ID="7"
PRETTY_NAME="CentOS Linux 7 (Core)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;31"
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:centos:centos:7"
HOME_URL="https://www.centos.org/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.centos.org/"

CENTOS_MANTISBT_PROJECT="CentOS-7"
CENTOS_MANTISBT_PROJECT_VERSION="7"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="centos"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION="7"

MacOS:

Maximos-Mac:~ maxt$ sw_vers
ProductName:    Mac OS X
ProductVersion: 10.13.4
BuildVersion:   17E199

#CentOS
PS /home/maxt> $PSVersionTable                                                                                                      

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      6.1.0-preview.2
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    v6.1.0-preview.2
OS                             Linux 3.10.0-693.21.1.el7.x86_64 #1 SMP Wed Mar 7 19:03:37 UTC 2018
Platform                       Unix
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

#MacOS
PS /Users/maxt> $PSVersionTable                                                                                         

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      6.1.0-preview.2
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    v6.1.0-preview.2
OS                             Darwin 17.5.0 Darwin Kernel Version 17.5.0: Mon Mar  5 22:24:32 PST 2018; root:xnu-45...
Platform                       Unix
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

[rjmholt]

I believe that, being an environment variable, PowerShell does not control the existence of that setting. It's the host OS that sets PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE in the environment, and there's been a general preference for PowerShell not to set new environment variables (especially since this potentially breaks things).

To be clear, go into cmd.exe on Windows and type echo %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% and you should see the value. Go into bash on UNIX and type echo $PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE and you won't get anything by default. PowerShell aims to do the same on each respective platform.

[rjmholt]

Just for the sake of completeness, on UNIX you should be able to use uname -m (I think $PSVersionTable uses this for OS). I think there might have been some discussion about PowerShell having an internal variable to track processor architecture too.

[MaximoTrinidad]

Thanks everyone!!
:)