github/penpot
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/penpot/penpot.git synced 2026-08-06 12:58:55 +00:00
Code Issues Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

📚 Fix the devenv backend-flags instructions (#11077)

Browse Source 
The section pointed at `docker/devenv/docker-compose.yaml`, which #9906
deleted when it split the devenv compose into `docker-compose.infra.yml`
and `docker-compose.main.yml`. The same page names both replacements in
its architecture section, so only this one was missed.

Setting PENPOT_FLAGS in the container environment would not have worked
anyway: `backend/scripts/_env` expands the inherited value before its own
list, so its flags win. Document the mechanism that does work, the
gitignored `backend/scripts/_env.local` that `start-dev` sources right
after `_env`, and the left-to-right last-wins rule that lets an override
switch off a flag `_env` enables.
This commit is contained in:
Álvaro Tejero-Cantero 2026-08-06 14:14:44 +02:00 committed by GitHub
parent 614d619173
commit 314a2a245f
No known key found for this signature in database
GPG Key ID: B5690EEEBB952194
1 changed files with 19 additions and 7 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

26
docs/technical-guide/developer/devenv.md
View File

@ -419,16 +419,28 @@ After creating or modifying this file, **reload the browser** (no need to restar
### Backend flags via PENPOT_FLAGS
Backend feature flags are controlled through the `PENPOT_FLAGS` environment
variable using the same `enable-<flag>` / `disable-<flag>` format. You can set
this in the `docker/devenv/docker-compose.yaml` file under the `main` service
`environment` section:
variable using the same `enable-<flag>` / `disable-<flag>` format. The devenv
sets its own list in `backend/scripts/_env`.
```yaml
environment:
- PENPOT_FLAGS=enable-access-tokens enable-mcp
To change that list for your checkout, create `backend/scripts/_env.local`.
`backend/scripts/start-dev` sources it immediately after `_env`, and the file
is gitignored, so your override never appears in `git status`:
```bash
export PENPOT_FLAGS="$PENPOT_FLAGS enable-access-tokens enable-mcp"
```
This requires **restarting the backend** to take effect.
Flags are applied left to right and the last entry wins, so appending to
`$PENPOT_FLAGS` both adds flags and switches off ones that `_env` enables:
`disable-demo-users` at the end turns off the demo users that `_env` enables
earlier.
Setting `PENPOT_FLAGS` in the container environment does not work for this,
because `_env` expands the inherited value *before* its own list. Any flag it
sets afterwards wins over yours.
This requires **restarting the backend** to take effect: stop the process in
the `backend` tmux window and run `./scripts/start-dev` again.
> **Note**: Some features (e.g., access tokens, webhooks) need both frontend and
> backend flags enabled to work end-to-end. The frontend flag enables the UI, while