.env.dist.local May 2026

If you implement a .env.dist.local file, consider the following workflow:

.env.dist.local (committed to repo):

# 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

.env.local (gitignored, created by each dev from the above): .env.dist.local

# Real local machine config
DATABASE_URL=mysql://app:mysecret@host.docker.internal:3306/myapp_john
DEV_TOOLS_ENABLED=0   # Turn off heavy tools on laptop

In the landscape of software development, managing environment variables is a critical practice for maintaining security and portability. While many developers are familiar with the standard .env file and the template file .env.dist (or .env.example), the .env.dist.local file serves a specific, often overlooked niche in the configuration hierarchy. If you implement a