Missing secret_key_base in rails production

Question

I don't understand why my secret_key_base is not found. When I start my app in production I get this message on web browser : Missing 'secret_key_base' for 'production' environment, set this value in 'config/secrets.yml'

My config/secret.yml looks like this :

production:
  secret_key_base: <%= ENV["SECRET_KEY_BASE"] %>

When I replace <%= ENV["SECRET_KEY_BASE"] %> with the key generated it works, otherwise, it is not recommended...

So I put my key in /etc/profile & ~/.bashrc & ~/.rvm/environment/ruby-2.1.5 as follow :

export SECRET_KEY_BASE=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When I start a rails console in production mode I can see my key :

rails c production
Loading production environment (Rails 4.1.6)
2.1.5 :001 > ENV["SECRET_KEY_BASE"]
 => "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"

I don't get why it is not working knowing all of that. Am I missing something obvious ?

Complete error log :

ERROR RuntimeError: Missing `secret_key_base` for 'production' environment, set this value in `config/secrets.yml`
        /home/xxx/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/railties-4.1.6/lib/rails/application.rb:462:in `validate_secret_key_config!'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/railties-4.1.6/lib/rails/application.rb:195:in `env_config'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/railties-4.1.6/lib/rails/engine.rb:510:in `call'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/railties-4.1.6/lib/rails/application.rb:144:in `call'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/lock.rb:17:in `call'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/content_length.rb:14:in `call'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/rack-1.5.2/lib/rack/handler/webrick.rb:60:in `service'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.5/lib/ruby/2.1.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:138:in `service'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.5/lib/ruby/2.1.0/webrick/httpserver.rb:94:in `run'
        /home/xxx/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.5/lib/ruby/2.1.0/webrick/server.rb:295:in `block in start_thread'

EDIT 1 :

I took a look at ~/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.5/gems/railties-4.1.6/lib/rails/application.rb and I did some debug trace using puts. It looks like my ENV variable is nil for Ruby in this file but also in config/secret.yml when the file is parsed.

Here are the log I put on the file during the parsing process :

secrets = ActiveSupport::OrderedOptions.new
yaml = config.paths["config/secrets"].first
if File.exist?(yaml)
  puts "FILE EXIST !"
  puts ENV["SECRET_KEY_BASE"]
  require "erb"
  all_secrets = YAML.load(ERB.new(IO.read(yaml)).result) || {}
  puts all_secrets.inspect
  env_secrets = all_secrets[Rails.env]
  puts env_secrets.inspect
  secrets.merge!(env_secrets.symbolize_keys) if env_secrets
  puts secrets.inspect
end

And here is the result when I start my server using rvmsudo rails s -e "production" -p 80

FILE EXIST !
                <-------------- (nil)
{"development"=>{"secret_key_base"=>"OK"}, "test"=>{"secret_key_base"=>"OK"}, "production"=>{"secret_key_base"=>nil}}
{"secret_key_base"=>nil}
{:secret_key_base=>nil}

It looks like rvmsudo doesn't pass env variable, I will take a look at it...

@Nithin I restart my server every time I do a change but the issue remains here — ZazOufUmI
Have you set your actual environment variables? It looks like you are referencing everything correctly, but it might just not be populated. Check this article. It will show you how to set it. railsapps.github.io/rails-environment-variables.html — Ryan-Neal Mes
Try setting it with something like export SECRET_KEY_BASE="mykey" in your terminal on production. — Ryan-Neal Mes

ZazOufUmI ZazOufUmI · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-02T15:17:08

My supposition on EDIT #1 was true. The issue was that rvmsudo pass environment variables under somes conditions that can be found on the grep command here :

https://github.com/rvm/rvm/blob/dff3eeac883ce6314c021f3d00730bcd5a628e3e/binscripts/rvmsudo#L46

So I change my environment variable name to : http_SECRET_KEY_BASE to try and it worked !

Missing secret_key_base in rails production

1 Answers