Environment Variables with Redis

Question

I have a Rails app that sends email notifications using Gmail (currently this is only in development mode). I set a username and password with environment variables like this

GMAIL_USERNAME=' [e-mail] ' GMAIL_PASSWORD='mygreatpassword' rails s 

and everything works fine. However, after I added sidekiq / redis to send emails as a background job, I get an authentication error when trying to send an email.

 2013-04-24T19:26:45Z 887 TID-ovdxl6qxs WARN: {"retry"=>true, "queue"=>"default", "timeout"=>30, "class"=>"Sidekiq::Extensions::DelayedMailer", "args"=>["---\n- !ruby/class 'Notifier'\n- :answer_updated\n- - !ruby/object:Answer\n attributes:\n id: 32\n content: Billy\n accepted: \n user_id: 37\n question_id: 38\n created_at: 2013-04-24 19:26:44.948753000 Z\n updated_at: 2013-04-24 19:26:44.948753000 Z\n - !ruby/object:User\n attributes:\n id: 35\n email: [e-mail] \n encrypted_password: $2a$10$5XLIJ6F1KNPOjbTUX3fqROE0oDHgf/WnSGE4OhCm7g.pzN1bzLS0q\n reset_password_token: \n reset_password_sent_at: \n remember_created_at: 2013-04-19 19:28:52.926838000 Z\n sign_in_count: 9\n current_sign_in_at: 2013-04-24 19:17:31.694245000 Z\n last_sign_in_at: 2013-04-22 18:24:29.946303000 Z\n current_sign_in_ip: 127.0.0.1\n last_sign_in_ip: 127.0.0.1\n created_at: 2013-04-18 19:28:09.569895000 Z\n updated_at: 2013-04-24 19:17:31.695692000 Z\n name: [e-mail] \n lawyer: \n student: \n"], "jid"=>"4c9cb74b27080c4df581715c", "error_message"=>"530-5.5.1 Authentication Required. Learn more at\n", "error_class"=>"Net::SMTPAuthenticationError", "failed_at"=>2013-04-24 19:26:45 UTC, "retry_count"=>0} 2013-04-24T19:26:45Z 887 TID-ovdxl6qxs WARN: 530-5.5.1 Authentication Required. Learn more at 

After adding sidekiq, I started the rails server the same way, with the GMAIL_USERNAME and GMAIL_PASSWORD environment variables preceding the rails s command. I also started redis this way

 redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis.conf 

and sidekiq like this

 bundle exec sidekiq 

Then, adding redis, I used the sidekiq 'delay' method instead of 'delivery' to send the message. However, as noted above, I get an authentication error message.

  def after_create(answer) answer.question.watchers.each do |user| Notifier.delay.answer_updated(answer, user) # Notifier.answer_updated(answer, user).deliver end 

Update:

These are the settings of my email setup program.

 config.action_mailer.smtp_settings = { address: "smtp.gmail.com", port: 587, domain: "localhost:3000", authentication: "plain", enable_starttls_auto: true, user_name: ENV["GMAIL_USERNAME"], password: ENV["GMAIL_PASSWORD"] } 

This is what he says after “learn more on”

 2013-04-25T00:11:30Z 6904 TID-owuofcbno WARN: /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:948:in `check_response' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:917:in `getok' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:832:in `mailfrom' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:659:in `send_message' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/network/delivery_methods/smtp.rb:145:in `block in deliver!' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:520:in `start' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/network/delivery_methods/smtp.rb:144:in `deliver!' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/message.rb:2034:in `do_delivery' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/message.rb:229:in `block in deliver' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/actionmailer-3.2.12/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:415:in `block in deliver_mail' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/activesupport-3.2.12/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:123:in `block in instrument' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/activesupport-3.2.12/lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in `instrument' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/activesupport-3.2.12/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:123:in `instrument' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/actionmailer-3.2.12/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:413:in `deliver_mail' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/message.rb:229:in `deliver' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/extensions/action_mailer.rb:23:in `perform' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:49:in `block (3 levels) in process' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:109:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:109:in `block in invoke' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/timeout.rb:11:in `block in call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/timeout.rb:68:in `timeout' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/timeout.rb:10:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/active_record.rb:6:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/retry_jobs.rb:50:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/logging.rb:11:in `block in call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/logging.rb:22:in `with_context' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/logging.rb:7:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:114:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:114:in `invoke' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:48:in `block (2 levels) in process' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:87:in `stats' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:47:in `block in process' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/calls.rb:23:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/calls.rb:23:in `public_send' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/calls.rb:23:in `dispatch' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/future.rb:18:in `block in initialize' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/internal_pool.rb:48:in `call' /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/internal_pool.rb:48:in `block in create' 

Answer 1

Sidekiq starts its own rail environment and skips environment variables to configure ActionMailer, so you get an exception when using sidekiq, but not when sending to the rails server process.

Basically, you just need to run the sidekiq handler using the same variables as the server:

 GMAIL_USERNAME=' [e-mail] ' GMAIL_PASSWORD='mygreatpwd' bundle exec sidekiq 

While this may do the job in order, consider using something like foreman to handle this (especially in development).

Answer 2

I assume that the environment variables that you set in the console apply only to the web server process (which rails s runs). Therefore, when sidekiq looks at the configuration of the mail program, it returns zero from ENV["GMAIL_USERNAME"] and ENV["GMAIL_PASSWORD"] . You need to put these environment variables where the sidekiq process can access them.

I will lay out several options below (# 2 looks simpler), but there are already several resources that have explained this in more detail (and credit is suitable for compiling these parameters). Departure:

• http://railsapps.imtqy.com/rails-environment-variables.html
• https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/config-vars#local-setup
  • If you are deploying on heroku and want to test locally
  • Remember to put .env in .gitignore

Functions

Setting up the vars environment in bash

I would not recommend this method, but would like to include it as a counterpoint for the two options below.

 export GMAIL_USERNAME=" [e-mail] " 

Running this in the bash console will create a value in ~/.bashrc , available in ENV.

This solution, however, does not depend on a specific application (it is available anywhere on your computer) and it is buried so far from your application that it may be difficult for you to debug problems or forget to delete / change this personal information.

Figaro Stone

figaro gem provides you with a .gitignore d YAML file .gitignore you can put your confidential configuration information.

It also provides helpers to load these configuration vars into the hero, while maintaining the configuration from your git repos.

Reading from yml configuration file

This is pretty much what the Figaro gem does, but it is worth understanding.

 # 1. create a config file touch config/gmail_config.yml # 2. add the new file to .gitignore # 3. add code to application.rb to load yml file config.before_configuration do env_file = File.join(Rails.root, 'config', 'local_env.yml') YAML.load(File.open(env_file)).each do |key, value| ENV[key.to_s] = value end if File.exists?(env_file) end 

If the file exits (i.e. you are on the local computer), it will download the file and set the variable. If the file does not exist, it will not load the file, and you will need to set the variable in the production environment.