Intorduce "config edit-ini" sub command to help maintaining INI config file (#35735)

Ref: #32669. Helps addressing
https://gitea.com/gitea/helm-chart/issues/356.

Dockerfile

@@ -26,20 +26,16 @@ WORKDIR ${GOPATH}/src/code.gitea.io/gitea
 RUN if [ -n "${GITEA_VERSION}" ]; then git checkout "${GITEA_VERSION}"; fi \
  && make clean-all build
 
-# Begin env-to-ini build
-RUN go build contrib/environment-to-ini/environment-to-ini.go
-
 # Copy local files
 COPY docker/root /tmp/local
 
 # Set permissions
 RUN chmod 755 /tmp/local/usr/bin/entrypoint \
-              /tmp/local/usr/local/bin/gitea \
+              /tmp/local/usr/local/bin/* \
               /tmp/local/etc/s6/gitea/* \
               /tmp/local/etc/s6/openssh/* \
               /tmp/local/etc/s6/.s6-svscan/* \
-              /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/gitea \
-              /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/environment-to-ini
+              /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/gitea
 
 FROM docker.io/library/alpine:3.22
 LABEL maintainer="maintainers@gitea.io"
@@ -82,4 +78,3 @@ CMD ["/usr/bin/s6-svscan", "/etc/s6"]
 
 COPY --from=build-env /tmp/local /
 COPY --from=build-env /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/gitea /app/gitea/gitea
-COPY --from=build-env /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/environment-to-ini /usr/local/bin/environment-to-ini

Dockerfile.rootless

@@ -26,18 +26,12 @@ WORKDIR ${GOPATH}/src/code.gitea.io/gitea
 RUN if [ -n "${GITEA_VERSION}" ]; then git checkout "${GITEA_VERSION}"; fi \
  && make clean-all build
 
-# Begin env-to-ini build
-RUN go build contrib/environment-to-ini/environment-to-ini.go
-
 # Copy local files
 COPY docker/rootless /tmp/local
 
 # Set permissions
-RUN chmod 755 /tmp/local/usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh \
-              /tmp/local/usr/local/bin/docker-setup.sh \
-              /tmp/local/usr/local/bin/gitea \
-              /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/gitea \
-              /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/environment-to-ini
+RUN chmod 755 /tmp/local/usr/local/bin/* \
+              /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/gitea
 
 FROM docker.io/library/alpine:3.22
 LABEL maintainer="maintainers@gitea.io"
@@ -71,7 +65,6 @@ RUN chown git:git /var/lib/gitea /etc/gitea
 
 COPY --from=build-env /tmp/local /
 COPY --from=build-env --chown=root:root /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/gitea /app/gitea/gitea
-COPY --from=build-env --chown=root:root /go/src/code.gitea.io/gitea/environment-to-ini /usr/local/bin/environment-to-ini
 
 # git:git
 USER 1000:1000

cmd/config.go

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+// Copyright 2025 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
+
+	"github.com/urfave/cli/v3"
+)
+
+func cmdConfig() *cli.Command {
+	subcmdConfigEditIni := &cli.Command{
+		Name:  "edit-ini",
+		Usage: "Load an existing INI file, apply environment variables, keep specified keys, and output to a new INI file.",
+		Description: `
+Help users to edit the Gitea configuration INI file.
+
+# Keep Specified Keys
+
+If you need to re-create the configuration file with only a subset of keys,
+you can provide an INI template file for the kept keys and use the "--config-keep-keys" flag.
+For example, if a helm chart needs to reset the settings and only keep SECRET_KEY,
+it can use a template file (only keys take effect, values are ignored):
+
+  [security]
+  SECRET_KEY=
+
+$ ./gitea config edit-ini --config app-old.ini --config-keep-keys app-keys.ini --out app-new.ini
+
+# Map Environment Variables to INI Configuration
+
+Environment variables of the form "GITEA__section_name__KEY_NAME"
+will be mapped to the ini section "[section_name]" and the key
+"KEY_NAME" with the value as provided.
+
+Environment variables of the form "GITEA__section_name__KEY_NAME__FILE"
+will be mapped to the ini section "[section_name]" and the key
+"KEY_NAME" with the value loaded from the specified file.
+
+Environment variable keys can only contain characters "0-9A-Z_",
+if a section or key name contains dot ".", it needs to be escaped as _0x2E_.
+For example, to apply this config:
+
+	[git.config]
+	foo.bar=val
+
+$ export GITEA__git_0x2E_config__foo_0x2E_bar=val
+
+# Put All Together
+
+$ ./gitea config edit-ini --config app.ini --config-keep-keys app-keys.ini --apply-env {--in-place|--out app-new.ini}
+`,
+		Flags: []cli.Flag{
+			// "--config" flag is provided by global flags, and this flag is also used by "environment-to-ini" script wrapper
+			// "--in-place" is also used by "environment-to-ini" script wrapper for its old behavior: always overwrite the existing config file
+			&cli.BoolFlag{
+				Name:  "in-place",
+				Usage: "Output to the same config file as input. This flag will be ignored if --out is set.",
+			},
+			&cli.StringFlag{
+				Name:  "config-keep-keys",
+				Usage: "An INI template file containing keys for keeping. Only the keys defined in the INI template will be kept from old config. If not set, all keys will be kept.",
+			},
+			&cli.BoolFlag{
+				Name:  "apply-env",
+				Usage: "Apply all GITEA__* variables from the environment to the config.",
+			},
+			&cli.StringFlag{
+				Name:  "out",
+				Usage: "Destination config file to write to.",
+			},
+		},
+		Action: runConfigEditIni,
+	}
+
+	return &cli.Command{
+		Name:  "config",
+		Usage: "Manage Gitea configuration",
+		Commands: []*cli.Command{
+			subcmdConfigEditIni,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func runConfigEditIni(_ context.Context, c *cli.Command) error {
+	// the config system may change the environment variables, so get a copy first, to be used later
+	env := append([]string{}, os.Environ()...)
+
+	// don't use the guessed setting.CustomConf, instead, require the user to provide --config explicitly
+	if !c.IsSet("config") {
+		return errors.New("flag is required but not set: --config")
+	}
+	configFileIn := c.String("config")
+
+	cfgIn, err := setting.NewConfigProviderFromFile(configFileIn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load config file %q: %v", configFileIn, err)
+	}
+
+	// determine output config file: use "--out" flag or use "--in-place" flag to overwrite input file
+	inPlace := c.Bool("in-place")
+	configFileOut := c.String("out")
+	if configFileOut == "" {
+		if !inPlace {
+			return errors.New("either --in-place or --out must be specified")
+		}
+		configFileOut = configFileIn // in-place edit
+	}
+
+	needWriteOut := configFileOut != configFileIn
+
+	cfgOut := cfgIn
+	configKeepKeys := c.String("config-keep-keys")
+	if configKeepKeys != "" {
+		needWriteOut = true
+		cfgOut, err = setting.NewConfigProviderFromFile(configKeepKeys)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to load config-keep-keys template file %q: %v", configKeepKeys, err)
+		}
+
+		for _, secOut := range cfgOut.Sections() {
+			for _, keyOut := range secOut.Keys() {
+				secIn := cfgIn.Section(secOut.Name())
+				keyIn := setting.ConfigSectionKey(secIn, keyOut.Name())
+				if keyIn != nil {
+					keyOut.SetValue(keyIn.String())
+				} else {
+					secOut.DeleteKey(keyOut.Name())
+				}
+			}
+			if len(secOut.Keys()) == 0 {
+				cfgOut.DeleteSection(secOut.Name())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if c.Bool("apply-env") {
+		if setting.EnvironmentToConfig(cfgOut, env) {
+			needWriteOut = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	if needWriteOut {
+		err = cfgOut.SaveTo(configFileOut)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}

cmd/config_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// Copyright 2025 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestConfigEdit(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	configOld := tmpDir + "/app-old.ini"
+	configTemplate := tmpDir + "/app-template.ini"
+	_ = os.WriteFile(configOld, []byte(`
+[sec]
+k1=v1
+k2=v2
+`), os.ModePerm)
+
+	_ = os.WriteFile(configTemplate, []byte(`
+[sec]
+k1=in-template
+
+[sec2]
+k3=v3
+`), os.ModePerm)
+
+	t.Setenv("GITEA__EnV__KeY", "val")
+
+	t.Run("OutputToNewWithEnv", func(t *testing.T) {
+		configNew := tmpDir + "/app-new.ini"
+		err := NewMainApp(AppVersion{}).Run(t.Context(), []string{
+			"./gitea", "--config", configOld,
+			"config", "edit-ini",
+			"--apply-env",
+			"--config-keep-keys", configTemplate,
+			"--out", configNew,
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		// "k1" old value is kept because its key is in the template
+		// "k2" is removed because it isn't in the template
+		// "k3" isn't in new config because it isn't in the old config
+		// [env] is applied from environment variable
+		data, _ := os.ReadFile(configNew)
+		require.Equal(t, `[sec]
+k1 = v1
+
+[env]
+KeY = val
+`, string(data))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("OutputToExisting(environment-to-ini)", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// the legacy "environment-to-ini" (now a wrapper script) behavior:
+		// if no "--out", then "--in-place" must be used to overwrite the existing "--config" file
+		err := NewMainApp(AppVersion{}).Run(t.Context(), []string{
+			"./gitea", "config", "edit-ini",
+			"--apply-env",
+			"--config", configOld,
+		})
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "either --in-place or --out must be specified")
+
+		// simulate the "environment-to-ini" behavior with "--in-place"
+		err = NewMainApp(AppVersion{}).Run(t.Context(), []string{
+			"./gitea", "config", "edit-ini",
+			"--in-place",
+			"--apply-env",
+			"--config", configOld,
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		data, _ := os.ReadFile(configOld)
+		require.Equal(t, `[sec]
+k1 = v1
+k2 = v2
+
+[env]
+KeY = val
+`, string(data))
+	})
+}

cmd/main.go

@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ func NewMainApp(appVer AppVersion) *cli.Command {
 
 	// these sub-commands do not need the config file, and they do not depend on any path or environment variable.
 	subCmdStandalone := []*cli.Command{
+		cmdConfig(),
 		cmdCert(),
 		CmdGenerate,
 		CmdDocs,

contrib/environment-to-ini/README

@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-Environment To Ini
-==================
-
-Multiple docker users have requested that the Gitea docker is changed
-to permit arbitrary configuration via environment variables.
-
-Gitea needs to use an ini file for configuration because the running
-environment that starts the docker may not be the same as that used
-by the hooks. An ini file also gives a good default and means that
-users do not have to completely provide a full environment.
-
-With those caveats above, this command provides a generic way of
-converting suitably structured environment variables into any ini
-value.
-
-To use the command is very simple just run it and the default gitea
-app.ini will be rewritten to take account of the variables provided,
-however there are various options to give slightly different
-behavior and these can be interrogated with the `-h` option.
-
-The environment variables should be of the form:
-
-	GITEA__SECTION_NAME__KEY_NAME
-
-Note, SECTION_NAME in the notation above is case-insensitive.
-
-Environment variables are usually restricted to a reduced character
-set "0-9A-Z_" - in order to allow the setting of sections with
-characters outside of that set, they should be escaped as following:
-"_0X2E_" for "." and "_0X2D_" for "-". The entire section and key names 
-can be escaped as a UTF8 byte string if necessary. E.g. to configure:
-
-	"""
-	...
-	[log.console]
-	COLORIZE=false
-	STDERR=true
-	...
-	"""
-
-You would set the environment variables: "GITEA__LOG_0x2E_CONSOLE__COLORIZE=false"
-and "GITEA__LOG_0x2E_CONSOLE__STDERR=false". Other examples can be found
-on the configuration cheat sheet.
-
-To build locally, run:
-
-	go build contrib/environment-to-ini/environment-to-ini.go

contrib/environment-to-ini/environment-to-ini.go

@@ -1,112 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2019 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
-
-package main
-
-import (
-	"context"
-	"os"
-
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
-
-	"github.com/urfave/cli/v3"
-)
-
-func main() {
-	app := cli.Command{}
-	app.Name = "environment-to-ini"
-	app.Usage = "Use provided environment to update configuration ini"
-	app.Description = `As a helper to allow docker users to update the gitea configuration
-	through the environment, this command allows environment variables to
-	be mapped to values in the ini.
-
-	Environment variables of the form "GITEA__SECTION_NAME__KEY_NAME"
-	will be mapped to the ini section "[section_name]" and the key
-	"KEY_NAME" with the value as provided.
-
-	Environment variables of the form "GITEA__SECTION_NAME__KEY_NAME__FILE"
-	will be mapped to the ini section "[section_name]" and the key
-	"KEY_NAME" with the value loaded from the specified file.
-
-	Environment variables are usually restricted to a reduced character
-	set "0-9A-Z_" - in order to allow the setting of sections with
-	characters outside of that set, they should be escaped as following:
-	"_0X2E_" for ".". The entire section and key names can be escaped as
-	a UTF8 byte string if necessary. E.g. to configure:
-
-		"""
-		...
-		[log.console]
-		COLORIZE=false
-		STDERR=true
-		...
-		"""
-
-	You would set the environment variables: "GITEA__LOG_0x2E_CONSOLE__COLORIZE=false"
-	and "GITEA__LOG_0x2E_CONSOLE__STDERR=false". Other examples can be found
-	on the configuration cheat sheet.`
-	app.Flags = []cli.Flag{
-		&cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:    "custom-path",
-			Aliases: []string{"C"},
-			Value:   setting.CustomPath,
-			Usage:   "Custom path file path",
-		},
-		&cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:    "config",
-			Aliases: []string{"c"},
-			Value:   setting.CustomConf,
-			Usage:   "Custom configuration file path",
-		},
-		&cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:    "work-path",
-			Aliases: []string{"w"},
-			Value:   setting.AppWorkPath,
-			Usage:   "Set the gitea working path",
-		},
-		&cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:    "out",
-			Aliases: []string{"o"},
-			Value:   "",
-			Usage:   "Destination file to write to",
-		},
-	}
-	app.Action = runEnvironmentToIni
-	err := app.Run(context.Background(), os.Args)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("Failed to run app with %s: %v", os.Args, err)
-	}
-}
-
-func runEnvironmentToIni(_ context.Context, c *cli.Command) error {
-	// the config system may change the environment variables, so get a copy first, to be used later
-	env := append([]string{}, os.Environ()...)
-	setting.InitWorkPathAndCfgProvider(os.Getenv, setting.ArgWorkPathAndCustomConf{
-		WorkPath:   c.String("work-path"),
-		CustomPath: c.String("custom-path"),
-		CustomConf: c.String("config"),
-	})
-
-	cfg, err := setting.NewConfigProviderFromFile(setting.CustomConf)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("Failed to load custom conf '%s': %v", setting.CustomConf, err)
-	}
-
-	changed := setting.EnvironmentToConfig(cfg, env)
-
-	// try to save the config file
-	destination := c.String("out")
-	if len(destination) == 0 {
-		destination = setting.CustomConf
-	}
-	if destination != setting.CustomConf || changed {
-		log.Info("Settings saved to: %q", destination)
-		err = cfg.SaveTo(destination)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}

docker/root/usr/local/bin/environment-to-ini

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+exec /app/gitea/gitea config edit-ini --in-place --apply-env "$@"

docker/rootless/usr/local/bin/environment-to-ini

@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+exec /app/gitea/gitea config edit-ini --in-place --apply-env "$@"

modules/setting/config_provider.go

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type ConfigSection interface {
 	HasKey(key string) bool
 	NewKey(name, value string) (ConfigKey, error)
 	Key(key string) ConfigKey
+	DeleteKey(key string)
 	Keys() []ConfigKey
 	ChildSections() []ConfigSection
 }
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ type ConfigProvider interface {
 	Sections() []ConfigSection
 	NewSection(name string) (ConfigSection, error)
 	GetSection(name string) (ConfigSection, error)
+	DeleteSection(name string)
 	Save() error
 	SaveTo(filename string) error
 
@@ -168,6 +170,10 @@ func (s *iniConfigSection) Keys() (keys []ConfigKey) {
 	return keys
 }
 
+func (s *iniConfigSection) DeleteKey(key string) {
+	s.sec.DeleteKey(key)
+}
+
 func (s *iniConfigSection) ChildSections() (sections []ConfigSection) {
 	for _, s := range s.sec.ChildSections() {
 		sections = append(sections, &iniConfigSection{s})
@@ -249,6 +255,10 @@ func (p *iniConfigProvider) GetSection(name string) (ConfigSection, error) {
 	return &iniConfigSection{sec: sec}, nil
 }
 
+func (p *iniConfigProvider) DeleteSection(name string) {
+	p.ini.DeleteSection(name)
+}
+
 var errDisableSaving = errors.New("this config can't be saved, developers should prepare a new config to save")
 
 // Save saves the content into file