How to handle .envs files

leemlwando · November 13, 2025, 10:39pm

Hi devs!

Coming from the world of nodejs platforms we rely on .env files for environment variables.

I am building a nethserver module and would like my container to have access to the env variables . Some are sensitive secrets.

What’s the recommend workflow ?

In the case an enc file has lot of entries, how would we efficiently handle this in nethserver 8 setup ?

kemboielvis22 · November 14, 2025, 3:35am

hello @leemlwando welcome to the community

github.com/geniusdynamics/ns8-zitadel

imageroot/actions/configure-module/10configure_environment_vars

main

#!/usr/bin/env python3

#
# Copyright (C) 2022 Nethesis S.r.l.
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
#

import json
import sys
import agent

# Try to parse the stdin as JSON.
# If parsing fails, output everything to stderr
data = json.load(sys.stdin)

#This is specific to you module, so you need to change it accordingly.
# Configuration of the host
# SMTP:
# # must include the port, like smtp.mailtrap.io:2525. IPv6 is also supported, like [2001:db8::1]:2525
# Host: # ZITADEL_DEFAULTINSTANCE_SMTPCONFIGURATION_SMTP_HOST

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As you can see in the file above we pass all the env vars into the object to create the .env

After the .env is created we can pass to the service using

--env-file=zitadel-app.env

if you want to pass only one env var

--env VITE_APP=Test \

Full examples
For file based envs

github.com/geniusdynamics/ns8-zitadel

imageroot/systemd/user/zitadel-app.service

main

#
# Copyright (C) 2022 Nethesis S.r.l.
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
#

[Unit]
Description=Podman  zitadel-app.service
BindsTo=zitadel.service
After=zitadel.service postgresql-app.service

[Service]
Environment=PODMAN_SYSTEMD_UNIT=%n
EnvironmentFile=%S/state/environment
EnvironmentFile=-%S/state/smarthost.env
WorkingDirectory=%S/state
Restart=always
TimeoutStopSec=70
ExecStartPre=/bin/mkdir -p config
ExecStartPre=/bin/rm -f %t/zitadel-app.pid %t/zitadel-app.ctr-id
ExecStartPre=-runagent discover-smarthost

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For inline ENVS

github.com/mrmarkuz/ns8-immich

imageroot/systemd/user/immich-app.service

main

#
# Copyright (C) 2022 Nethesis S.r.l.
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
#

[Unit]
Description=Podman  immich-app.service
BindsTo=immich.service
After=immich.service database.service redis.service

[Service]
Environment=PODMAN_SYSTEMD_UNIT=%n
EnvironmentFile=%S/state/environment
EnvironmentFile=-%S/state/smarthost.env
WorkingDirectory=%S/state
Restart=always
TimeoutStopSec=70
ExecStartPre=/bin/rm -f %t/immich-app.pid %t/immich-app.ctr-id
ExecStartPre=-runagent discover-smarthost
ExecStart=/usr/bin/podman run --conmon-pidfile %t/immich-app.pid \

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kemboielvis22 · November 14, 2025, 3:36am

If you have any question feel free to ask