ADR-0015: Load secrets from a git-ignored .env file

Accepted

Status: accepted · 2026-10-24

Context

The judge needs GEMINI_API_KEY (ADR-0002). The owner keeps it in .env at the repository root, and the CLI read only the shell environment, so the key had to be exported by hand before every coach judge.

Decision

1. npm run coach starts the CLI with Node's built-in --env-file-if-exists=.env, so variables in .env reach the process; a missing file is not an error.
2. Variables already set in the shell win over .env, as Node applies them.
3. .env and .env.* stay git-ignored, and no secret goes into coach.config.json, which is git-ignored too but holds settings, not secrets.
4. No dotenv library is added.

Consequences

• coach judge works with the key in .env and nothing exported.
• Running node packages/cli/dist/main.js directly does not load .env; use npm run coach or pass the flag.