Index: mod/kcore/boot.rt.c
==================================================================
--- mod/kcore/boot.rt.c
+++ mod/kcore/boot.rt.c
@@ -1,17 +1,43 @@
 #include <k/core.h>
+#include <k/type.h>
 extern stat entry(kenv);
 
 unsigned long long
 _boot(unsigned int argc, /* argument count */
 		char** argv, /* arguments */
 		char** envp /* environment */ ) {
+
+	envp ++; /* envp seems to point at a leading null;
+				this is probably a sign of breakage but
+				i don't know what else to do about it for
+				the moment. */
+
+	char** ep;
+	/* advance ep until it points at the last element */
+	for (ep = envp; *ep != 0; ++ep);
+
+	/* allocate space for each environment variable */
+	kvar variables [ep - envp];
+
+	for (char** v = envp; *v != 0; ++v) {
+		kvar* var = variables + (v - envp);
+		var -> name.ptr = *v;
+		char* i = *v;
+		for(;*i != '=';++i);
+		var -> name.size = i - *v;
+		var -> val.ptr = i + 1;
+		for(;*i != 0;++i);
+
+		/* there is probably a better way to do this; my
+		 * brain is too foggy to figure one out tho */
+		var -> val.size = (i - *v) - var -> name.size;
+	}
+
 	kenv e = { 
 		/* TODO: determine terminal class and set term vs ansi correctly! */
 		{ {kiostream_term, 0}, {kiostream_term, 1} }, // chan std
 		{ {kiostream_closed},  {kiostream_term, 2} }, // chan err
-		argc, argv, 
-		null // needs parsing
+		argc, argv, ep - envp, variables
 	};
 	return entry(e);
 }
-	

Index: mod/kcore/core.h
==================================================================
--- mod/kcore/core.h
+++ mod/kcore/core.h
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@
 } kvar;
 
 typedef struct kenv {
 	kiochan std;
 	kiochan err;
-	sz argc; char** argv;
-	kvar* vars;
+	sz argc; char** args;
+	sz varc; kvar* vars;
 } kenv;
 
 /* i'm really sorry okay */
 typedef
 #if (__STDC_VERSION__ >= 199901L)

Index: mod/kcore/testbin.exe.c
==================================================================
--- mod/kcore/testbin.exe.c
+++ mod/kcore/testbin.exe.c
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@
 	u8 a;
 	s16 b;
 	bool c;
 };
 
+#define _slit(s) ((ksraw){Kmsz(s),s})
+
 stat_long entry(kenv e) {
 	const char msg[] = "hello from libk\n";
 	ksraw ptr = { Kmsz(msg), msg };
 
 	bool maybe = true;
@@ -34,8 +36,20 @@
 	kmres rst = kmlina(1230);
 	if(rst.cond != kmcond_ok) return kbad_mem;
 
 	kmres rst2 = kmlina(789);
 	if(rst2.cond != kmcond_ok) return kbad_mem;
+
+	const char varmsg[] = "printing environment variables\n";
+	ksraw msgptr = { Kmsz(varmsg), varmsg };
+	kiosend(e.std, msgptr, null);
+
+	for (sz i = 0; i < e.varc; ++i) {
+		kiosend(e.std, _slit(" - "), null);
+		kiosend(e.std, e.vars[i].name, null);
+		kiosend(e.std, _slit(" = ["), null);
+		kiosend(e.std, e.vars[i].val, null);
+		kiosend(e.std, _slit("]\n"), null);
+	}
 
 	return kbad_ok;
 }