{"id":"6983bbf8a39d033d001f2e4b","title":"2026 02 04 Issue 146","path":"how-to/committee/release-notes/2026-02-04-issue-146","contentMarkdown":"# 04-Feb-2026 — Deploy, Secrets and 4 more areas: 5 features and 1 fix [#146](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/146)\n\n## [build 462](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/actions/runs/21689372104) — [commit dff051b](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/commit/dff051b465a53e2ebad3155ca3c6bf08b9eca8de)\n\n_____\n\n- Add fly.toml to Dockerfile so it's available in deployed environments\n- Simplify fly deployment to read fly.toml directly instead of requiring fallback\n- Fix Environment type usage in env-config and env-core\n- Add FLICKR_SCRAPE_DUMP_DIR to Environment enum\n(ref: #146)\n\n### **secrets**: add database-first secrets loading for deployed servers ([#146](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/146))\n\nAdd loadSecretsWithFallback and loadSecretsForEnvironmentFromDatabase\nto support reading secrets from the database ENVIRONMENTS config when\nrunning on deployed servers. Falls back to file-based secrets for local\ndevelopment.\nSecrets are built from:\n- Global aws config and secrets from EnvironmentsConfig\n- Per-environment aws, mongo, and secrets from EnvironmentConfig\n- MongoDB URI is constructed from mongo config fields\n\n### **cli**: add GitHub secrets sync command for environment management ([#146](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/146))\n\nAdd ngx-cli github command with reconcile, sync, and push subcommands\nto manage the CONFIGS_JSON GitHub secret from the database source of truth.\nThis enables regular syncing when environments are created or modified.\n\n### **backup**: global AWS credentials, S3 path improvements, and DRY refactoring ([#146](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/146))\n\n## User Guide\n### Global Backup Configuration\nYou can now configure global AWS credentials in the Settings tab under 'Global AWS S3 Configuration'.\nThis allows a single set of credentials to manage backups across all environments, with per-environment\nsettings used as fallback.\n**New Settings Fields:**\n- Access Key ID\n- AWS access key with S3 permissions\n- Secret Access Key\n- Corresponding secret key\n### Backup Improvements\n- Backups are now organised by environment and timestamp in S3: `//`\n- Upload progress is displayed in the History tab logs\n- Server-side logging reduced to show only meaningful operations\n### Environment Configuration\n- MongoDB URI can now be pasted directly\n- fields auto-populate from the connection string\n- All environment configs support AWS, MongoDB, and Fly.io credentials in one place\n## Technical Changes\n### S3 Path Construction\n- New `backup-paths.ts` with pure utility functions for S3 key construction\n- 22 unit tests covering path building and parsing\n- Simplified path structure: `/` instead of `//`\n### DRY Refactoring\n- Consolidated `uploadDirectoryToS3` from 3 duplicate implementations into `server/lib/aws/s3-utils.ts`\n- Added factory functions: `createEmptyAwsConfig()`, `createEmptyMongoConfig()`\n- `EnvironmentBackupConfig` and `BackupConfig` now type aliases for `EnvironmentConfig` and `EnvironmentsConfig`\n- Eliminated inline interface definitions in favour of model imports\n### Credential Resolution\n- `preferredCredentials()` method prioritises global AWS credentials over per-environment\n- `preferredBucket()` and `preferredRegion()` follow same pattern\n- `bucketExists()` check prevents AccessDenied errors when credentials lack CreateBucket permission\n### Code Quality\n- Removed verbose debug logging from backup controller and websocket server\n- Method naming follows project conventions (no 'get' prefix)\n- All config model types centralised in `environment-config.model.ts`\n\n### **environment-setup**: comprehensive environment management overhaul with API and MongoDB migration ([#146](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/146))\n\nIntroduces new environment configuration API, MongoDB cluster-based config, and enhanced UI with vendor branding and dashboard links.\n**New Environment Configuration API:**\n- RESTful endpoints for reading and writing environment configurations\n- `EnvironmentConfigService` for centralised config management\n- Separation of concerns: environment config extracted from backup/restore\n- Config initialisation from files with validation and error handling\n**MongoDB Configuration Migration:**\n- Migrate from `uri` field to `cluster` field in MongoDB configuration\n- Cluster field stores cluster name without .mongodb.net suffix\n- Database migration script (20260201000000) converts existing records\n- Backward compatible: handles both legacy URI and new cluster formats\n- Improved regex parsing for cluster extraction from URIs\n**Enhanced Environment Setup UI:**\n- Vendor logos in all configuration section headings\n- Ramblers logo dynamically loaded from System Settings\n- AWS, MongoDB, and Fly.io static brand logos\n- External link buttons for quick dashboard access:\n- AWS S3 Console (global and per-environment bucket views)\n- MongoDB Atlas dashboard\n- Fly.io app-specific dashboard\n- Deployed application URL\n- Environment list alphabetically sorted by name\n- Improved visual spacing and button styling consistency\n**Backend Architecture Improvements:**\n- New `environments-config.ts` module for config operations\n- Enhanced `config-initializer` with cluster field population\n- Updated backup/restore service to use new config service\n- CLI tools migrated to cluster-based MongoDB configuration\n- Fly.toml path resolution fixed for compiled environments\n**Technical Implementation:**\n- New `EnvironmentConfig` and `EnvironmentsConfig` models\n- Integration with SystemConfigService for dynamic Ramblers logo\n- Custom `.btn-outline-flyio` styling for brand consistency\n- Shared `sortBy()` utility for environment sorting\n- Type-safe API routes with proper error handling\n\n### **paths**: use resolveClientPath for non-vcs file access ([#146](https://github.com/nbarrett/ngx-ramblers/issues/146))\n\nFix path resolution for secrets and configs.json files when running\nin production mode where code executes from ts-gen directory.","contentHtml":"

04-Feb-2026 — Deploy, Secrets and 4 more areas: 5 features and 1 fix #146

\n

build 462 — commit dff051b

\n
\n
    \n
  • Add fly.toml to Dockerfile so it's available in deployed environments
    • \n
  • Simplify fly deployment to read fly.toml directly instead of requiring fallback
    • \n
  • Fix Environment type usage in env-config and env-core
    • \n
  • Add FLICKR_SCRAPE_DUMP_DIR to Environment enum\n(ref: #146)
    • \n
\n

secrets: add database-first secrets loading for deployed servers (#146)

\n

Add loadSecretsWithFallback and loadSecretsForEnvironmentFromDatabase\nto support reading secrets from the database ENVIRONMENTS config when\nrunning on deployed servers. Falls back to file-based secrets for local\ndevelopment.\nSecrets are built from:

\n
    \n
  • Global aws config and secrets from EnvironmentsConfig
    • \n
  • Per-environment aws, mongo, and secrets from EnvironmentConfig
    • \n
  • MongoDB URI is constructed from mongo config fields
    • \n
\n

cli: add GitHub secrets sync command for environment management (#146)

\n

Add ngx-cli github command with reconcile, sync, and push subcommands\nto manage the CONFIGS_JSON GitHub secret from the database source of truth.\nThis enables regular syncing when environments are created or modified.

\n

backup: global AWS credentials, S3 path improvements, and DRY refactoring (#146)

\n

User Guide

\n

Global Backup Configuration

\n

You can now configure global AWS credentials in the Settings tab under 'Global AWS S3 Configuration'.\nThis allows a single set of credentials to manage backups across all environments, with per-environment\nsettings used as fallback.\nNew Settings Fields:

\n
    \n
  • Access Key ID
    • \n
  • AWS access key with S3 permissions
    • \n
  • Secret Access Key
    • \n
  • Corresponding secret key
    • \n
\n

Backup Improvements

\n
    \n
  • Backups are now organised by environment and timestamp in S3: <environment>/<timestamp>/
    • \n
  • Upload progress is displayed in the History tab logs
    • \n
  • Server-side logging reduced to show only meaningful operations
    • \n
\n

Environment Configuration

\n
    \n
  • MongoDB URI can now be pasted directly
    • \n
  • fields auto-populate from the connection string
    • \n
  • All environment configs support AWS, MongoDB, and Fly.io credentials in one place
    • \n
\n

Technical Changes

\n

S3 Path Construction

\n
    \n
  • New backup-paths.ts with pure utility functions for S3 key construction
    • \n
  • 22 unit tests covering path building and parsing
    • \n
  • Simplified path structure: <env>/<timestamp> instead of <env>/<db>/<timestamp>
    • \n
\n

DRY Refactoring

\n
    \n
  • Consolidated uploadDirectoryToS3 from 3 duplicate implementations into server/lib/aws/s3-utils.ts
    • \n
  • Added factory functions: createEmptyAwsConfig(), createEmptyMongoConfig()
    • \n
  • EnvironmentBackupConfig and BackupConfig now type aliases for EnvironmentConfig and EnvironmentsConfig
    • \n
  • Eliminated inline interface definitions in favour of model imports
    • \n
\n

Credential Resolution

\n
    \n
  • preferredCredentials() method prioritises global AWS credentials over per-environment
    • \n
  • preferredBucket() and preferredRegion() follow same pattern
    • \n
  • bucketExists() check prevents AccessDenied errors when credentials lack CreateBucket permission
    • \n
\n

Code Quality

\n
    \n
  • Removed verbose debug logging from backup controller and websocket server
    • \n
  • Method naming follows project conventions (no 'get' prefix)
    • \n
  • All config model types centralised in environment-config.model.ts
    • \n
\n

environment-setup: comprehensive environment management overhaul with API and MongoDB migration (#146)

\n

Introduces new environment configuration API, MongoDB cluster-based config, and enhanced UI with vendor branding and dashboard links.\nNew Environment Configuration API:

\n
    \n
  • RESTful endpoints for reading and writing environment configurations
    • \n
  • EnvironmentConfigService for centralised config management
    • \n
  • Separation of concerns: environment config extracted from backup/restore
    • \n
  • Config initialisation from files with validation and error handling\nMongoDB Configuration Migration:
    • \n
  • Migrate from uri field to cluster field in MongoDB configuration
    • \n
  • Cluster field stores cluster name without .mongodb.net suffix
    • \n
  • Database migration script (20260201000000) converts existing records
    • \n
  • Backward compatible: handles both legacy URI and new cluster formats
    • \n
  • Improved regex parsing for cluster extraction from URIs\nEnhanced Environment Setup UI:
    • \n
  • Vendor logos in all configuration section headings
    • \n
  • Ramblers logo dynamically loaded from System Settings
    • \n
  • AWS, MongoDB, and Fly.io static brand logos
    • \n
  • External link buttons for quick dashboard access:
    • \n
  • AWS S3 Console (global and per-environment bucket views)
    • \n
  • MongoDB Atlas dashboard
    • \n
  • Fly.io app-specific dashboard
    • \n
  • Deployed application URL
    • \n
  • Environment list alphabetically sorted by name
    • \n
  • Improved visual spacing and button styling consistency\nBackend Architecture Improvements:
    • \n
  • New environments-config.ts module for config operations
    • \n
  • Enhanced config-initializer with cluster field population
    • \n
  • Updated backup/restore service to use new config service
    • \n
  • CLI tools migrated to cluster-based MongoDB configuration
    • \n
  • Fly.toml path resolution fixed for compiled environments\nTechnical Implementation:
    • \n
  • New EnvironmentConfig and EnvironmentsConfig models
    • \n
  • Integration with SystemConfigService for dynamic Ramblers logo
    • \n
  • Custom .btn-outline-flyio styling for brand consistency
    • \n
  • Shared sortBy() utility for environment sorting
    • \n
  • Type-safe API routes with proper error handling
    • \n
\n

paths: use resolveClientPath for non-vcs file access (#146)

\n

Fix path resolution for secrets and configs.json files when running\nin production mode where code executes from ts-gen directory.

\n"}