title: How to store a Python dictionary as an Environment Variable
body: <p>I am trying to store an Environment Variable that Python can read in as a Dictionary. If this is a bad idea, please let me know your suggestions, I am eager to learn. I'm worried that if I store the data as many environment variables it might become hard to manage.</p>
  
  <p>I programmed a Raspberry Pi to unlock a door based off the Caller ID's of incoming phone calls to a Twilio number, it is working great. I want to share my code on Github for feedback but I do not want to share my list of phone numbers with the world so I am trying to save it as an environment variable and then let Python read it in.</p>
  
  <p>The phone numbers are in a Python Dictionary like this.</p>
  
  <pre><code>building_admins = {
      "+27792955555": "De Wet",
      "+27722855555": "Marysol",
      "+27878085555": "Blomerus",
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I am trying to save it as an Environment Variable like this on Ubuntu 14.04</p>
  
  <pre><code>export BUILDING_ADMINS='{
      "+27792955555": "De Wet",
      "+27722855555": "Marysol",
      "+27878085555": "Blomerus",
  }'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>1) I can't get Linux to save the environment variable, is there something I could do to make it work?</p>
  
  <p>2) I feel like there must be a better way to do this and I am going in the wrong direction but nothing I seem to find with Googling is solving the problem I am facing. Please point me in the right direction.</p>