Manage Settings Using Environmental Variables

Prev Next

In software configuration, environmental variables play a crucial role in managing settings. Rocket.Chat leverages environmental variables to provide a flexible and efficient way to manage settings. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of how Rocket.Chat manages settings using environmental variables

When starting your server, you can set any settings value via an environment variable. You will only have to know the setting ID and the data type of the setting (boolean, string, integer, etc.).

Basic settings

Name

Data Type

_id

SettingId = string

type

  • boolean

  • timezone

  • string

  • relativeUrl

  • password

  • int

  • select

  • multiSelect

  • language

  • color

  • font

  • code

  • action

  • asset

  • roomPick

  • group

  • date

public

boolean

env

boolean

group (Optional)

GroupId = SettingId

section (Optional)

SectionName = string

tab (Optional)

TabId = SettingId

i18nLabel

string

value

SettingValue can be one of the following types:

  • string

  • boolean

  • number

  • SettingValueMultiSelect

  • Date

  • AssetValue

  • undefined

packageValue

SettingValue can be one of the following types:

  • string

  • boolean

  • number

  • SettingValueMultiSelect

  • Date

  • AssetValue

  • undefined

blocked

boolean

enableQuery (Optional)

string

displayQuery (Optional)

string

sorter

number

properties (Optional)

unknown

enterprise (Optional)

boolean

requiredOnWizard (Optional)

boolean

hidden (Optional)

boolean

modules (Optional)

Array

invalidValue (Optional)

SettingValue can be one of the following values:

  • string

  • boolean

  • number

  • SettingValueMultiSelect

  • Date

  • AssetValue

  • undefined

valueSource (Optional)

string

secret (Optional)

boolean

i18nDescription (Optional)

string

autocomplete (Optional)

boolean

processEnvValue (Optional)

SettingValue can be one of the following values:

  • string

  • boolean

  • number

  • SettingValueMultiSelect

  • Date

  • AssetValue

  • undefined

meteorSettingsValue (Optional)

SettingValue can be one of the following values:

  • string

  • boolean

  • number

  • SettingValueMultiSelect

  • Date

  • AssetValue

  • undefined

ts

Date

createdAt

Date

_updatedAt (Optional)

Date

multiline (Optional)

boolean

values (Optional)

Array

placeholder (Optional)

string

wizard (Optional)

  • step: number

  • order: number

persistent (Optional)

boolean

readonly (Optional)

boolean

alert (Optional)

string

private (Optional)

boolean

Group settings

Name

Data Type

_id

string

hidden

boolean

blocked

boolean

ts

Date

sorter

number

i18nLabel

string

displayQuery

string

i18nDescription

string

value

undefined

type

group

alert

string

Enterprise settings

Name

Data Type

enterprise

true

invalidValue

SettingValue can be one of the following values:

  • string

  • boolean

  • number

  • SettingValueMultiSelect

  • Date

  • AssetValue

  • undefined

Color settings

Name

Data Type

type

color

editor

SettingEditor

packageEditor (Optional)

SettingEditor

Action settings

Name

Data Type

type

action

value

string

actionText (Optional)

string

Code settings

Name

Data Type

type

action

value

string

actionText (Optional)

string

Asset settings

Name

Data Type

type

asset

value

AssetValue

fileConstraints

IRocketChatAssetConstraint

asset

string

SelectOption settings

Name

Data Type

key

The type can be:

  • string

  • number

i18nLabel

string

Editor settings

Name

Data Type

COLOR

color

EXPRESSION

expression

Date settings

Name

Data Type

type

Date

value

Date

Statistics settings

Name

Data Type

account2fa (Optional)

boolean

cannedResponsesEnabled (Optional)

boolean

e2e (Optional)

boolean

e2eDefaultDirectRoom (Optional)

boolean

e2eDefaultPrivateRoom (Optional)

boolean

smtpHost (Optional)

string

smtpPort (Optional)

string

fromEmail (Optional)

string

fileUploadEnable (Optional)

boolean

frameworkDevMode (Optional)

boolean

frameworkEnable (Optional)

boolean

surveyEnabled (Optional)

boolean

updateChecker (Optional)

boolean

liveStream (Optional)

boolean

broadcasting (Optional)

boolean

allowEditing (Optional)

boolean

allowDeleting (Optional)

boolean

allowUnrecognizedSlashCommand (Optional)

boolean

allowBadWordsFilter (Optional)

boolean

readReceiptEnabled (Optional)

boolean

readReceiptStoreUsers (Optional)

boolean

otrEnable (Optional)

boolean

pushEnable (Optional)

boolean

globalSearchEnabled (Optional)

boolean

threadsEnabled (Optional)

boolean

bigBlueButton (Optional)

boolean

jitsiEnabled (Optional)

boolean

webRTCEnableChannel (Optional)

boolean

webRTCEnablePrivate (Optional)

boolean

webRTCEnableDirect (Optional)

boolean

Settings actions

You can take the following actions while configuring your workspace settings:

  • Set the setting values for the first time.

  • Overwrite setting values.

  • Block settings from being changed.

  • Hide settings.

  • Set any wizard setting as mandatory.

Let's look at these options in detail.

Set setting

To set a setting for the first time, you need only to add the environment variable SETTING_ID=VALUE when starting the server.

For example:

FileUpload_Storage_Type=hiGoogleCloudStorage

This only works if the setting isn't already set; hence it's most useful for setting on the initial start. If the setting already has a value, you will need to use overwrite setting.

Overwrite setting

You can overwrite any setting by setting an environment variable prefixed with OVERWRITE_SETTING_<Setting Id>.

For example:

OVERWRITE_SETTING_FileUpload_Storage_Type=GoogleCloudStorage

Settings capable of this can be seen when hovered in the Administration > Workspace > Settings section.

Block settings

You can block a setting from being changed by specifying the SETTINGS_BLOCKED environment variable. It is a comma-separated list. You need to add any setting you want to block to this list.

For example:

SETTINGS_BLOCKED=FileUpload_Storage_Type,FileUpload_GoogleStorage_AccessId,FileUpload_GoogleStorage_Secret

As an administrator, you can't change this from the UI. You must remove it from the list and reboot the server to change this setting.

Hide settings

You can hide settings from the client by using the SETTINGS_HIDDEN environment variable.

For example:

SETTINGS_HIDDEN=FileUpload_GoogleStorage_AccessId,FileUpload_GoogleStorage_Secret

Take extra caution here because the client needs settings like FileUpload_Storage_Type, so it can not be hidden.

Required wizard settings

You can force settings to be required on wizard pages by using the SETTINGS_REQUIRED_ON_WIZARD environment variable.

For example:

SETTINGS_REQUIRED_ON_WIZARD=Organization_Type,Organization_Name

Rocket.Chat's use of environmental variables for managing your workspace settings provides a powerful and flexible configuration mechanism.