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Simplify Your .env Files – One Variable at a Time!

MkDotenv is a lightweight and efficient tool for managing your .env files. Whether you're adding, updating, or replacing environment variables, MkDotenv makes it easy and hassle-free.

Build from source (Supported in Linux & macOS)

Compilation required to have make and golang installed. Both Go 1.23 and 1.24 supported.

Step 0: Install golang and make:

On Ubuntu Linux and Linux mint

On Linux Mint and Ubuntu, you can run:

sudo apt-get install make golang-1.23*

On macOS and other distros

For other linux distros and macOS follow official instructions https://go.dev/doc/install

Install make upon macOs

You can use either xcode or homebrew. Homebrew method is in https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/make

Step 1: Clone repo:

git clone https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv.git

For a specific version (e.g v0.3.2) you can also do:

export VERSION=v0.3.2
git clone --depth 1 --branch ${VERSION} https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv.git

Step 2: Compile

make

Note

In case you use the golang-1.23 package shipped with ubuntu and linux mint, and unable to run go command line into the shell you can also run this command:

make GO=/usr/lib/go-1.23/bin/go

Step 3: Install

sudo make install

(If run as root omit sudo)

Once make install is successfully run golang can be uninstalled if desired, it is a build-only requirement.

Uninstall

If cloned this repo and built the tool you can do:

sudo make uninstall

Otherwise you can do it manually:

sudo rm -f /usr/bin/mkdotenv
sudo rm -f /usr/local/share/man/man1/mkdotenv.1 

sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/mkdotenv
sudo rm -f /usr/local/share/man/man1/mkdotenv.1 

Installation

Install In linux

From Executable Binaries

export VERSION=v0.3.2
wget -o mkdotenv https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases/download/${VERSION}/mkdotenv-linux-amd64 
sudo cp mkdotenv /bin/mkdotenv
sudo chmod 755 /bin/mkdotenv

mkdotenv --version

For environments that do not provide root access use these commands:

export VERSION=v0.3.2
wget -o mkdotenv https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases/download/${VERSION}/mkdotenv-linux-amd64 
sudo cp mkdotenv ~/.local/bin/mkdotenv
sudo chmod 755 ~/.local/bin/mkdotenv

mkdotenv --version

Detect latest Version

In order to see the latest version check the https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases page once you found the desired release instead of:

# Replace with actual version number, e.g., v0.3.2
export VERSION=v0.1.0

Do (replace ^found_version^ with the version you found upon releases page):

# Replace with actual version number, e.g., v0.3.2
export VERSION=^found_version^

And execute the commands:

wget -O mkdotenv https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases/download/${VERSION}/mkdotenv-linux-amd64 

sudo cp mkdotenv /bin/mkdotenv
sudo chmod 755 /bin/mkdotenv

mkdotenv --version

Uninstall

rm -rf /bin/mkdotenv

Via PPA for Ubuntu & Linux Mint

If running ubuntu or Linux mint you can use our PPA repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pcmagas/mkdotenv
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install mkdotenv

From debian package

Works in Debian, Mint and Ubuntu (or any other Debian-compatible distros)

# Replace with actual version number, e.g., v0.3.2
export VERSION=^found_version^
wget https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases/download/${VERSION}/mkdotenv_${VERSION}_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i mkdotenv_${VERSION}_amd64.deb

At code above replace ^found_version^ with the version shown at Detect Latest Version.

Uninstalling the package is easy as:

sudo apt-get remove mkdotenv

From RPM package

Tested on Fedora

# Replace with actual version number, e.g., v0.3.2
export VERSION=^found_version^
wget https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases/download/v${VERSION}/mkdotenv.rpm
sudo rpm -i mkdotenv-${VERSION}-1.fc41.x86_64.rpm

At code above replace ^found_version^ with the version shown at Detect Latest Version.

In Fedora Linux

App is delivered via corpr you can install it like this:

sudo dnf install dnf-plugins-core
dnf copr enable pc-magas/mkdotenv 
sudo dnf install mkdotenv

In Alpine Linux

# Replace with actual version number, e.g., v0.3.2
export VERSION=^found_version^
wget https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases/download/v${VERSION}/mkdotenv-${VERSION}-r0.apk

There's a pending release for alpine linux on official repositories.

Then as root user run:

apk add --allow-untrusted mkdotenv-${VERSION}-r0.apk

At code above replace ^found_version^ with the version shown at Detect Latest Version.

In arch Linux

Mkdotenv is shipped via AUR, use yay to install:

yay mkdotenv

Install upon Windows

Windows builds are provided as standalone binaries without an installer.

Just download the .exe from releases page ( https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases ) and run it through cmd/powershell:

mkdotenv-windows-amd64.exe 

Once downloaded it can be renamed as mkdotenv.exe.

Install upon MacOS

Using Homebrew

macOS binaries for M Series are shipped via homebrew. For intel based releases compile it from source.

brew tap pc-magas/mkdotenv
brew install pc-magas/mkdotenv/mkdotenv
mkdotenv --help

For intel macs you need to compile from source

From Statically Built Binaries

Statically-built binaries that can be converted into executable for M series macOS are also shipped as well.

export VERSION=v0.3.2
wget -o mkdotenv https://github.com/pc-magas/mkdotenv/releases/download/${VERSION}/mkdotenv-darwin-arm64 
sudo cp mkdotenv /usr/local/bin/mkdotenv
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/mkdotenv

mkdotenv --version

Usage

Basic

mkdotenv <variable_name> <variable_value>

This will output to stdout the contents of a .env file with the variable <variable_name> having <variable_value> instead of the original one. If no .env file exists it will just output the <variable_name> having the <variable_value>.

Example:

mkdotenv DB_HOST 127.0.0.1

This will output:

DB_HOST=127.0.0.1

If a .env file exists with values:

DB_HOST=example.com
DB_USER=xxx

The final output would be:

DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_USER=xxx

Selecting file to read and write upon

Instead of outputing the .env value you can use the --output-file argument in order to write the contents upon a file. Also you can use the parameter --input-file in order to select which file to read upon, if omited .env file is used.

Example 1 Read a specified file and output its contents to stdout:

Assuming we run the command

mkdotenv DB_HOST 127.0.0.1 --input-file=.env.example

This will read the .env.example and output:

DB_HOST=127.0.0.1

Example 2 Write file upon a .env file:

mkdotenv DB_HOST 127.0.0.1 --output-file=.env.production

This would create a file named .env.production containing:

DB_HOST=127.0.0.1

Example 3 Read a specified .env file and output its contents to a separate .env file:

Assuming we have a file named .env.template containing:

DB_HOST=example.com
DB_USER=xxx
DB_PASSWORD=zzz

And we want to create a file named .env.production containing

DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_USER=xxx
DB_PASSWORD=zzz

We have to run:

mkdotenv DB_HOST 127.0.0.1 --input-file .env.template --output-file .env.production

Piping outputs

You can provide a .env via a pipe. A common use is to replace multiple variables:

mkdotenv DB_HOST 127.0.0.1 | mkdotenv DB_USER maiuser | mkdotenv DB_PASSWORD XXXX --output_file .env.production

Docker

Upon Image building

Mkdotenv is also shipped via docker image. Its intention is to use it as a stage for your Dockerfile for example:

FROM pcmagas/mkdotenv AS mkdotenv

FROM debian 

COPY --from=mkdotenv /usr/bin/mkdotenv /bin/mkdotenv

Or alpine based images:

FROM pcmagas/mkdotenv AS mkdotenv

FROM alpine 

COPY --from=mkdotenv /usr/bin/mkdotenv /bin/mkdotenv

Or temporarily mounting it on a run command:

RUN --mount=type=bind,from=pcmagas/mkdotenv:latest,source=/usr/bin/mkdotenv,target=/bin/mkdotenv

Run image into standalone container.

You can also run it as standalone image as well:

docker run pcmagas/mkdotenv mkdotenv --version

If you want to manipulate a .env file using the docker image. You can use it like this:

cat .env | docker run -i pcmagas/mkdotenv mkdotenv Hello BAKA > .env.new

Or if you want multiple variables:

cat .env | docker run -i pcmagas/mkdotenv mkdotenv Hello BAKA | docker run -i pcmagas/mkdotenv mkdotenv BIG BROTHER > .env.new

Keep in mind to use the -i argument upon docker command that enables to read the input via the pipes. If omited the mkdotenv command residing inside the container will not be able to read the contents of .env file piped to it.

Note

If running the pcmagas/mkdotenv image as is the arguments --env-file,--input-file and --input-file will result an unsuccessful execution of mkdotenv.

If a .env file needs to be manipulated either pipe the outputs as shown upon examples above or extend the pcmagas/mkdotenv using a your own Dockerfile providing a necessary volume:

FROM `pcmagas/mkdotenv`

RUN mkdir app

VOLUME app

These do not apply if following the instructions shown into Upon Image building section.

Ports and volumes

No volumes are provided with this image, also no ports are exposed with docker image as well.