Accessing the local users environment variables even when running via sudo (Mac only)

local_user_environ_as_sudo.py

# Imports
import subprocess
import json
import os


#
# Appends a gven users environment variables to the current process
#
def __append_users_environment_variables(user_name):

    # Load in the environment variables for this user
    profile_to_load = '/Users/{0}/.bash_profile'.format(user_name)
    env_to_json = 'import os, json; print(json.dumps(dict(os.environ)))'

    # Append the environment variables into os.environ
    environ_json = subprocess.check_output('. {} && python -c "{}"'.format(profile_to_load, env_to_json), shell=True, env={})
    os.environ.update(json.loads(environ_json.decode('utf8')))


#
# Finds the name of the local user regardless of whether it was run as sudo or not
#
def find_local_user():

    # Track our current names
    sudo_user = None
    local_user = None

    # Check our user and our sudo user
    if 'SUDO_USER' in os.environ:
        sudo_user = os.environ['SUDO_USER']

    if 'USER' in os.environ:
        local_user = os.environ['USER']

    # If we have a sudo user, we use that user
    if sudo_user != None:
        local_user = sudo_user

    # Return our user
    return local_user


#
# Updates the environment variables of the local user if they are run as sudo
#
def update_local_environment_variables():

    # Get our username rather than Sudo or not and append their environment variables
    user_name = find_local_user()
    if user_name != None:
        __append_users_environment_variables(user_name)

Calling update_local_environment_variables will result in the local users environment variables (if stored in .bash_profile) be available to the caller, even if the script was called using sudo.