PR: Make Varlock authoritative under Bun by neutralizing Bun dotenv and hardening resolver #141

trevordcampbell · 2025-08-30T03:35:57Z

Summary

Fixes: Bun autoloading of dotenv can override Varlock’s resolved values, causing “development” to leak into non-dev runs.
Approach: Make Varlock the single source of truth for env resolution and neutralize Bun’s dotenv via --env-file, while preserving runtime-agnostic semantics and keeping UX simple.
Result: Works for any @envFlag value/name, is zero-config for most users, and remains portable to other runtimes.

References:

Bug report: #139
Original proposal for a Bun plugin: #140
Bun env handling docs: Bun environment variables

Why this bug happens under Bun

Bun auto-loads dotenv files based on NODE_ENV (in precedence order): .env → .env.(development|production|test) → .env.local. It does not recognize custom names (e.g., .env.staging). See Bun environment variables.

Varlock’s model resolves from .env.schema + .env.<@envFlag> (e.g., APP_ENV) regardless of NODE_ENV. When Bun autoloads before or alongside Varlock, values from .env.development and/or .env.local can override the intended values, especially when NODE_ENV is defaulting to development. This is the core of #139.

Why a Varlock-core fix was proposed instead of a Bun plugin

Deterministic and supported: Bun’s --env-file deterministically controls dotenv behavior; passing an empty file results in no autoload. This is stable and documented in Bun environment variables.
Zero-config UX: Users keep using varlock load / varlock run. No per-project preloads or bunfig changes.
Ordering guarantees: Injecting Varlock’s resolved env into the spawned process happens at process creation time—so early module init sees the intended values.
Runtime-agnostic and maintainable: Works with Bun today, and the same pattern can adapt to other runtimes that autoload env files. Less coupling to Bun internals than a plugin. See #140.

What changed (code and behavior)

Harden resolver to ignore ambient process.env for schema-defined keys by default
- File: packages/varlock/env-graph/lib/config-item.ts
- Gate process.env overrides via EnvGraph.respectExistingEnv:
  - If an item exists in the schema, ambient process.env will not override it unless respectExistingEnv is true.
  - Special case: allow the @envFlag key (e.g., APP_ENV) to be set from process.env during the early pass so Varlock can select the correct .env.<env> files from the start.
- Effect: Prevents Bun’s preloaded values from clobbering schema-defined keys, without blocking setting the environment flag via process.env.
Default handling for .env.local is opt-out
- File: packages/varlock/env-graph/lib/loader.ts
- We include .env.local and .env.<env>.local by default (consistent with existing Varlock behavior).
- Added excludeLocal?: boolean to disable locals when explicitly requested.
- Propagation to CLI:
  - packages/varlock/src/lib/load-graph.ts plumbs excludeLocal and respectExistingEnv.
  - packages/varlock/src/cli/commands/load.command.ts adds flags:
    - --exclude-local: Exclude .env.local and .env.[env].local
    - --respect-existing-env: Allow ambient process.env to override schema-defined keys
  - packages/varlock/src/cli/commands/run.command.ts mirrors the same flags for the run path.
Bun-aware runner
- File: packages/varlock/src/cli/commands/run.command.ts
- Detects bun/bunx and neutralizes Bun dotenv by passing an empty --env-file.
- Injects Varlock’s resolved environment into the child process using a hardened pass-through:
  - Default: whitelist essential OS vars (PATH, HOME, SHELL, TERM, TZ, LANG, LC_ALL, PWD, TMPDIR, TEMP, TMP) + all Varlock-resolved keys.
  - This minimizes ambient leakage and avoids accidental overrides by pre-existing parent env keys.
- Optional --bun-sync-node-env: sets NODE_ENV to the resolved @envFlag value when enabled. Off by default to avoid surprises.
- Notes:
  - Resolver strictness and .env.local defaults apply to all commands (Node or Bun).
  - Bun dotenv neutralization only applies when the child command is bun or bunx.

Backward compatibility and UX

import { ENV } from 'varlock/env' still works
- Runtime autoload flows (varlock/auto-load) are unchanged. ENV is still initialized from process.env.__VARLOCK_ENV, injected by varlock run or integrations, and exposes resolved values to application code.
Default behavior changes you should be aware of
- Ambient overrides: By default, ambient process.env values no longer override schema-defined keys. Restore old behavior with --respect-existing-env (or a future .varlockrc default).
- .env.local: Included by default, consistent with the current Varlock mental model. You can explicitly opt-out via --exclude-local.
- Bun-only: When the child command is Bun/Bunx, varlock run disables Bun dotenv to ensure no drift from Varlock’s resolved env.
Performance
- No material changes in the core resolution performance. The whitelist-based env pass-through is trivial overhead.

How it works (step-by-step)

Resolution

Varlock loads .env.* files in the project directory, parses .env.schema, discovers @envFlag (e.g., APP_ENV).
During an early pass, the env flag key is resolved. If APP_ENV is defined in the ambient environment, it is respected for this key only to select the appropriate .env.<env> files.
Schema-defined keys are then resolved from .env.schema, the environment-specific file(s), and optionally .env.local per flag. Ambient process.env is ignored for these keys by default (unless --respect-existing-env is set).

Running with Bun

If varlock run -- bun ... or varlock run -- bunx ...:
- Varlock spawns Bun with --env-file <empty-temp-file>, neutralizing Bun’s dotenv mechanism.
- Varlock injects the resolved env and a small whitelist of parent env vars into the child process, ensuring libraries see the intended values at module init.
- Optionally syncs NODE_ENV to the resolved @envFlag value if --bun-sync-node-env is provided.

New Flags and defaults

--exclude-local: Exclude .env.local and .env.[env].local. Default: not excluded (included).
--respect-existing-env: Allow ambient process.env to override schema-defined keys. Default: false.
--bun-sync-node-env: When running Bun, set NODE_ENV to the resolved @envFlag value. Default: false.

Code references (selected)

Resolver hardening and env flag special-case
- packages/varlock/env-graph/lib/config-item.ts:
  - Applies process.env overrides only when respectExistingEnv is true or the item is not in the schema.
  - Always allows process.env to set the env flag key (e.g., APP_ENV) during the early pass so .env.<env> selection works.
.env file loading, opt-out .env.local
- packages/varlock/env-graph/lib/loader.ts:
  - Discovers .env.* files.
  - Includes locals by default; disables them only if excludeLocal === true.
CLI flags
- packages/varlock/src/cli/commands/load.command.ts: --exclude-local, --respect-existing-env, --env.
- packages/varlock/src/cli/commands/run.command.ts: --exclude-local, --respect-existing-env, --bun-sync-node-env, --env.
Bun-aware runner
- packages/varlock/src/cli/commands/run.command.ts:
  - Detects bun/bunx.
  - Prepends --env-file <empty-temp-file>.
  - Constructs a whitelist pass-through env for the child process.
  - Optional NODE_ENV sync from @envFlag.

Testing instructions

A ready-to-run Bun-based DevContainer test project (with updated executables) is available for reviewers:

varlock-testing DevContainer

It contains:

A set of .env* files (.env.schema, .env.production, .env.development, .env.local, etc.)
A simple script.ts that logs selected variables using process.env (do not import varlock/env for this specific test path).

Uses an SEA bundle of the modified Varlock CLI (no install required in the test project):

From project root, run:

Basic resolution (JSON):

bun ./varlock-cli-executable-bun-fix.cjs load --format json

Run a Bun script with dotenv neutralized:

bun ./varlock-cli-executable-bun-fix.cjs run -- bun script.ts

Select staging env (env flag via ambient):

APP_ENV=staging bun ./varlock-cli-executable-bun-fix.cjs -- bun script.ts

Opt-out .env.local:

APP_ENV=production bun ./varlock-cli-executable-bun-fix.cjs run --exclude-local -- bun script.ts

Allow ambient process.env to override schema-defined keys (off by default):

OVERRIDE=from-ambient APP_ENV=production bun ./varlock-cli-executable-bun-fix.cjs load --respect-existing-env --format json | jq .OVERRIDE

Sync NODE_ENV to your @envFlag value (optional):

APP_ENV=production bun ./varlock-cli-executable-bun-fix.cjs run --bun-sync-node-env -- bun script.ts

Expected behavior:

With APP_ENV=production, values come from .env.schema + .env.production (+ .env.local unless excluded).
With APP_ENV=staging, values come from .env.schema + .env.staging (+ .env.local unless excluded).
OVERRIDE only comes from ambient when --respect-existing-env is used.
Bun dotenv does not alter results when running through varlock run.

Maintainability and portability

Runtime-agnostic: The pattern (resolve first, neutralize external dotenv, inject resolved env) can be applied to other CLIs/runtimes that auto-load dotenv.
Minimal surface area: Lives inside Varlock’s CLI and resolver core. No per-project plugin/preload to maintain.
Safe-by-default: Whitelist pass-through for parent env reduces leakage; explicit flags control deviations.
Clear escape hatches: --respect-existing-env, --exclude-local, --bun-sync-node-env.

Compatibility notes and migration guidance

Ambient overrides for schema-defined keys now default to “off.”
- If you rely on ambient overrides, add --respect-existing-env to your CLI invocations (or adopt a config default when available).
.env.local remains included by default for local dev parity. Use --exclude-local if you want to disable it for specific runs.

Acknowledgements and prior art

This PR addresses #139, which documents the Bun autoload override problem.
It considers and chooses a core Varlock fix over a Bun plugin as initially suggested in #140 for the reasons outlined above.
References:
- Bun env docs: Bun environment variables

Proposed .varlockrc (optional, future docs)

{
  "resolver": {
    "respectExistingEnv": false
  },
  "bun": {
    "dotenv": "none",
    "syncNodeEnv": false
  }
}

This example captures the defaults introduced in this PR and shows how a future .varlockrc could be used to centralize project-wide preferences. We can add this to the docs as a forward-looking example.

…rted by turborepo)

changeset-bot · 2025-08-30T03:36:02Z

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socket-security · 2025-08-30T03:36:44Z

Review the following changes in direct dependencies. Learn more about Socket for GitHub.

Diff	Package	Supply Chain Security	Vulnerability	Quality	Maintenance	License
	@astrojs/check@0.9.4
	@builder.io/qwik@1.15.0
	@builder.io/qwik-city@1.15.0
	@types/node@24.2.0 ⏵ 24.1.0				^-1
	@astrojs/node@9.3.0
	@astrojs/netlify@6.5.3
	@astrojs/cloudflare@12.6.0
	@astrojs/vercel@8.2.3
	@vue/tsconfig@0.7.0
	prettier@3.6.2
	@vitejs/plugin-vue@6.0.1
	eslint-plugin-qwik@1.15.0
	openai@5.10.2

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trevordcampbell added 6 commits August 29, 2025 23:59

Fix: add '.pnpm-store' directory to .gitignore file

d250a7d

Deps: update root project dependencies + various subdir types

1ae489d

Config: change 'turbo.json' to 'turbo.jsonc' to allow comments (suppo…

12060d0

…rted by turborepo)

Fix: add '.pnpm-store' to eslint ignore

41a121d

Feature: update Varlock core to make env loading work with Bun

fde63d0

Feature: added DevContainer for Varlock development

77be699

github-actions bot added community varlock vscode-plugin labels Aug 30, 2025

trevordcampbell mentioned this pull request Aug 30, 2025

[Feature Request] bun plugin #140

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trevordcampbell commented Aug 30, 2025

Summary

Why this bug happens under Bun

Why a Varlock-core fix was proposed instead of a Bun plugin

What changed (code and behavior)

Backward compatibility and UX

How it works (step-by-step)

New Flags and defaults

Code references (selected)

Testing instructions

varlock-testing DevContainer

Maintainability and portability

Compatibility notes and migration guidance

Acknowledgements and prior art

Proposed .varlockrc (optional, future docs)

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changeset-bot bot commented Aug 30, 2025

⚠️ No Changeset found

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