A pragmatic CLI tool for managing .env files with a focus on simplicity, security, and reliability.

durable-appconfig-dotenv provides a straightforward command-line interface for editing environment files. Built with Rust for performance and safety, it handles common tasks like setting variables, generating secure passwords, and exporting configurations.

cargo install durable-appconfig-dotenv

Or build from source:

git clone https://github.com/durableprogramming/durable-appconfig-dotenv.git
cd durable-appconfig-dotenv
cargo build --release

Set environment variables:

durable-appconfig-dotenv set DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost/mydb API_KEY=secret123

Remove variables:

durable-appconfig-dotenv unset OLD_KEY DEPRECATED_VAR

List all keys:

durable-appconfig-dotenv keys

Generate secure random passwords:

# Basic 32-character password (letters only)
durable-appconfig-dotenv randomize API_SECRET

# Include numbers and symbols
durable-appconfig-dotenv randomize DB_PASSWORD --numeric --symbol --length 48

# Generate XKCD-style passphrase (requires xkcdpass)
durable-appconfig-dotenv randomize ADMIN_PASSPHRASE --xkcd

Export as bash script:

durable-appconfig-dotenv export
# or
durable-appconfig-dotenv export --format bash

Export as JSON:

durable-appconfig-dotenv export --format json

By default, durable-appconfig-dotenv operates on .env in the current directory. Use -f or --file to specify a different file:

durable-appconfig-dotenv -f .env.production set NODE_ENV=production
durable-appconfig-dotenv -f config/.env.local keys

• Preserves file structure: Maintains comments, empty lines, and formatting
• Safe updates: Only modifies targeted key-value pairs
• Secure passwords: Generates cryptographically secure random passwords
• Multiple export formats: Bash and JSON output for integration with other tools
• Simple interface: Clear, predictable commands that do one thing well

This tool embodies a practical approach to software development:

• Solve real problems: Managing environment files is a common task that deserves a dedicated tool
• Keep it simple: No complex configuration or unnecessary features
• Be reliable: Written in Rust for memory safety and consistent behavior
• Respect existing work: Preserves file formatting and comments
• Security matters: Provides secure password generation out of the box

# Set up a new project
durable-appconfig-dotenv set NODE_ENV=development PORT=3000
durable-appconfig-dotenv randomize JWT_SECRET SESSION_SECRET --length 64 --symbol

# Export for local development
eval $(durable-appconfig-dotenv export)

# Generate secure production credentials
durable-appconfig-dotenv -f .env.production randomize \
  DATABASE_PASSWORD \
  REDIS_PASSWORD \
  API_SECRET \
  --length 48 --numeric --symbol

# Export as JSON for container orchestration
durable-appconfig-dotenv -f .env.production export --format json > secrets.json

# Rotate all password fields
durable-appconfig-dotenv randomize $(durable-appconfig-dotenv keys | grep -E '(PASSWORD|SECRET|KEY)')

Contributions are welcome. This project values:

• Clear, maintainable code
• Comprehensive testing
• Thoughtful documentation
• Backwards compatibility

Please ensure all tests pass and add new tests for any new functionality.

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Built with excellent Rust crates:

• clap for CLI parsing
• anyhow for error handling
• serde for JSON serialization
• rand for secure random generation