---
title: "Configuration"
description: "This page details the configuration management within the project, focusing on how environment variables are loaded and how application-specific settings for services like AWS and \"Better Auth\" are..."
last_updated: "2026-05-06T07:29:41.646098+00:00"
canonical_url: "https://www.doc0.dev/docs/49c89830-117b-4def-8edc-b5bcc50766e0/technical/section-1/configuration"
---
Relevant source files
The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page:
- [apps/api/src/config/better-auth.config.ts](https://github.com/blade47/comp/blob/main/apps/api/src/config/better-auth.config.ts)
- [apps/api/src/config/aws.config.ts](https://github.com/blade47/comp/blob/main/apps/api/src/config/aws.config.ts)
- [apps/api/src/config/load-env.ts](https://github.com/blade47/comp/blob/main/apps/api/src/config/load-env.ts)
- [README.md](https://github.com/blade47/comp/blob/main/README.md)
This page details the configuration management within the project, focusing on how environment variables are loaded and how application-specific settings for services like AWS and "Better Auth" are defined and validated. The system leverages `dotenv` for loading environment variables and `zod` for robust schema validation, ensuring that all necessary configurations are present and correctly formatted at application startup.
The configuration architecture aims to provide a clear, centralized, and validated approach to managing application settings, reducing runtime errors caused by missing or malformed environment variables.
## Environment Variable Loading
The project utilizes a dedicated module, `load-env.ts`, to manage the loading of environment variables from `.env` files. This module ensures that environment variables are loaded early in the application lifecycle, supporting various deployment and development environments. It searches for `.env` files in predefined locations to maximize flexibility.
The `loadEnv` function attempts to load the `.env` file from several common paths:
1. Relative to the compiled output (`dist/src/.env`).
2. Relative to the source directory (`src/.env`).
3. In the current working directory (`process.cwd()/.env`).
Once an `.env` file is found, its variables are loaded and can optionally override existing environment variables. The `ensureEnvLoaded` function provides a mechanism to guarantee that environment variables have been processed, preventing redundant loading.
```typescript
// apps/api/src/config/load-env.ts
const searchPaths = [
// When compiled to dist/src (Nest build output)
path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', '.env'),
// When running with ts-node directly from src
path.join(__dirname, '..', '.env'),
// Fallback to current working directory
path.join(process.cwd(), '.env'),
];
function loadEnv(): void {
for (const envPath of searchPaths) {
if (existsSync(envPath)) {
config({ path: envPath, override: true });
envLoaded = true;
return;
}
}
envLoaded = true;
}
```
### Environment Loading Flow
Sources: [apps/api/src/config/load-env.ts:1-25](https://github.com/blade47/comp/blob/main/apps/api/src/config/load-env.ts#L1-L25)
## Application-Specific Configurations
The project uses `@nestjs/config`'s `registerAs` function in conjunction with `zod` schemas to define and validate specific configuration objects. This approach provides type safety and ensures that critical application settings are correctly structured and present.
### AWS Configuration
The AWS configuration (`aws.config.ts`) defines the necessary parameters for interacting with Amazon Web Services. It includes settings for region, access keys, and S3 bucket details.
The AWS configuration is validated at application startup using a `zod` schema. If any required environment variables are missing or invalid, the application will throw an error and fail to start, preventing potential runtime issues.
#### AWS Configuration Options
| Option | Environment Variable | Description | Default Value | Required |
| :-------------- | :---------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------- | :------------ | :------- |
| `region` | `APP_AWS_REGION` | AWS region to connect to. | `us-east-1` | No |
| `accessKeyId` | `APP_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID` | AWS access key ID. | | Yes |
| `secretAccessKey` | `APP_AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` | AWS secret access key. | | Yes |
| `bucketName` | `APP_AWS_BUCKET_NAME` | Name of the S3 bucket to use. | | Yes |
| `endpoint` | `APP_AWS_ENDPOINT` | Custom endpoint for AWS services (e.g., for localstack). | | No |
Sources: [apps/api/src/config/aws.config.ts:1-33](https://github.com/blade47/comp/blob/main/apps/api/src/config/aws.config.ts#L1-L33)
#### AWS Configuration Schema
### Better Auth Configuration
The "Better Auth" configuration (`better-auth.config.ts`) specifies the URL for an external authentication service.
The `BETTER_AUTH_URL` environment variable is **required**. If it is not provided or is not a valid URL, the application will fail to start.
#### Better Auth Configuration Options
| Option | Environment Variable | Description | Required |
| :----- | :------------------- | :---------------------------------------- | :------- |
| `url` | `BETTER_AUTH_URL` | The URL of the "Better Auth" service. | Yes |
Sources: [apps/api/src/config/better-auth.config.ts:1-27](https://github.com/blade47/comp/blob/main/apps/api/src/config/better-auth.config.ts#L1-L27)
#### Better Auth Configuration Schema
### Configuration Validation Flow
## General Environment Variable Setup
For local development, environment variables are typically managed through `.env` files. The project provides example `.env.example` files that should be copied and filled with actual credentials.
### Create .env files
Copy the example environment files for each application and package.
```sh
cp apps/app/.env.example apps/app/.env
cp apps/portal/.env.example apps/portal/.env
cp packages/db/.env.example packages/db/.env
```
```cmd
copy apps\app\.env.example apps\app\.env
copy apps\portal\.env.example apps\portal\.env
copy packages\db\.env.example packages\db\.env
```
```powershell
Copy-Item apps\app\.env.example -Destination apps\app\.env
Copy-Item apps\portal\.env.example -Destination apps\portal\.env
Copy-Item packages\db\.env.example -Destination packages\db\.env
```
### Fill out required variables
Populate the newly created `.env` files with your specific credentials and settings.
Ensure all required variables are present. The `README.md` specifically highlights the need for `NEXT_PUBLIC_PORTAL_URL` and `REVALIDATION_SECRET` in `comp/apps/app/.env` which might be missing from `.env.example`.
#### Common Environment Variables
| Variable | Description
## Sitemap
See the full [sitemap](https://www.doc0.dev/docs/49c89830-117b-4def-8edc-b5bcc50766e0/llms.txt) for all pages in this wiki.