The .env.dist.local file!

Step 2: Update .gitignore

Add these lines to your .gitignore:

Step 3: Automate the First-Time Setup

In your README.md, add setup instructions:

In conclusion, .env.dist.local is a useful file name that serves as a template for environment-specific configuration files. By following best practices and using it as a starting point, you can manage your application's configuration more efficiently and securely.

.env.dist.local is a simple yet powerful tool for managing environment variables across different environments. By using a single template file, you can ensure consistency, simplify environment variable management, and improve security.

Thus, your CI script should explicitly not copy .env.dist.local. Instead, it might copy .env.dist (production-like) or inject secrets directly.

# Local overrides template – copy to .env.local
DATABASE_URL=mysql://app:devpass@127.0.0.1:3306/app_local
TRUSTED_PROXES=127.0.0.1
DEV_TOOLS_ENABLED=1