What kind of variables can be passed to new processes started from the BASH shell?

The correct answer is that environment variables can be passed to new processes started from the BASH shell.

In Linux, when a new process is created through a command or a script, it inherits the environment variables from its parent process. Environment variables are a set of dynamic named values that can affect the way running processes will behave on a computer. These variables typically contain information such as the system's locale, path settings, user preferences, and other configurations that may be important for the execution of processes.

Local variables are used for temporary storage within the current shell session and do not propagate to subprocesses. Global variables typically pertain to a different scope, often in programming languages, and do not directly apply to the context of variable passing in UNIX-like operating systems. Static variables exist within specific programming contexts (especially in languages like C) to retain their value across function calls but are not applicable in the context of BASH shell process creation.

Therefore, the ability to pass environment variables is crucial for ensuring that processes know their operating context and can function correctly based on the configurations and settings defined in those variables.