.env.dist.local Site
The use of .env.dist.local is a specific pattern often found in complex development workflows to balance shared configuration templates private local overrides The Anatomy of the Configuration Pattern
DB_HOST=db
DB_PORT=5432
DB_USER=myuser
DB_PASSWORD=mypassword
Contrast with .env.dist : .env.dist typically holds production-relevant defaults or CI defaults. .env.dist.local is specifically for developer workstation settings — things like APP_DEBUG=true, MAILER_DSN=smtp://localhost:1025, or XDEBUG_MODE=debug. .env.dist.local
Gitignore the Result: Ensure that .env.local is in your .gitignore, but .env.dist.local is committed to the repository. Example Scenario The use of
- Never put real secrets in
.env.dist.local. - Use placeholders or dummy values.
- Ensure every required variable for local dev is present.
.env.dist.local: A Best Practice for Managing Environment Variables in Your Project Contrast with
- Commit only a sanitized .env.dist.local (no real secrets).
- Add .env, .env.local, and other secret-containing filenames to .gitignore.
- Provide clear comments and a short README for setup steps.
- Use schema validation to catch missing or malformed variables.
- Store production secrets in a proper secret manager and inject them at deploy/CI time.
- Use pre-commit secret detectors to prevent leaks.
.env.dist.local is a specialized configuration file used in software development to manage local environment variables while providing a