.env file in ~/.env instead of root in each repository

[0-sv]

I keep copying over this .env file in all TS repositories (otomi-api, otomi-console, otomi-tasks, otomi-clients, ...). It would save me a headache if we could turn this into a dotfile.

Maybe even going so far as using a manager like chezmoi (https://github.com/twpayne/chezmoi/blob/master/docs/QUICKSTART.md) and encrypt all common environment variables in Git like we do with anything else. Looks like you can do that with a password manager like LastPass, Bitwarden (which is what I use), Vault and sops.

I would say it would be worth it, considering we get back transparency about all our environment variables. We can give new engineers a command that would be "one to rule them all" with our Git repositories.

Curious about your thoughts.

[Dunky13]

In general a good idea I think. But what I found during development of gitea-drone is that I don't need the entire .env file, just the values necessary for my development. Not sure how this would combine/integrate?

[0-sv]

Yes, it's true. But when you move to another repo, you'll discover you need some subset of that file again, plus and min some other environment variables.

[Morriz]

.env is for devs to set ENV vars for the application. These files are all different (if not somebody does not understand how it works) and of long age.

So there is no use case for .env files.

Now, if you are talking about .secrets files, same analogy goes. Just get the one from secret storage for the repo you like to work with and off you go.

Please understand this once and for all. There is no easier UX for this that is worth it.