Allow for Environment File

[Eschguy]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Running on NixOS services.meshcentral, there's no way to implement environment variables through a secrets file, hardcoding secrets is not an option.

Describe the solution you'd like
For non-docker installs, it'd be great if you could have an environment file to define variables (in my case, OIDC client/secret information) and be able to substitute them in the config file.

Describe alternatives you've considered
I've tried to implement service config settings using sops-nix templating with no success.

[si458]

Environment variables already exist but the is only a handful that are accepted

#6184

I believe its all the options under settings that can be set as an Environment variable

You simple use MESHCENTRAL_* where * is the option u want, and replace any - and spaces with _

Generally u set these to get it up and running, then u set everything else using the config.json file

[Eschguy]

That works to a degree, but its limited scope is not great, and having to go in and edit config files manually isn't ideal for reproducibility.

[si458]

@Eschguy unfortunately the is just too many values to be able to add them all as environment variables!
https://config.meshcentraltools.com <- check them all out

plus you have to accodate the domains section too which can have multiple values
and the main domain would need to be left as blank too so how would be know whats the main domain?

the is already an open issue about using yaml instead of json, so that might help in say a docker/kubernetes environment
but not really for joe bloggs

what are you struggling with exactly?
what sorta values do u need to change via the environment variables?
i could do with a little bit more of an explaination/example just so i can understand thats all

[Eschguy]

I can appreciate that, I know it's a lot.

For me specifically I'm wanting to add client_id and client_secret in authStrategies/oidc/client.

[si458]

@Eschguy but u are missing all the other bits of info in the oidc like the issuer (required) or groups or sync groups etc

[Eschguy]

Right, but the ID and secret credentials are more private than an auth domain.

Ideally, it'd be a "if it exists in the env file, it'll be prioritized and added to the overall config". That way stuff you want secret and live in an env file, and the less secretive things can just live in the config.