| # Load Local Env File |
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| ## Why |
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| Tiny Narrator now documents credentials in `.env.example`, but the app only reads process environment variables. A local developer can create `.env` exactly as the docs imply and still get fallback behavior because `app.py` never loads the file. |
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| This should be fixed before more live-model work lands, because MiniCPM, Modal Klein, llama.cpp, public URLs, and timeouts all depend on environment configuration. |
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| ## What Changes |
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| - Load `.env` automatically during app startup before environment-backed settings are read. |
| - Add `python-dotenv` to project dependencies. |
| - Keep explicit process environment values authoritative. |
| - Update setup docs to say `.env` is read automatically. |
| - Extend verification so missing dependency or misplaced loading is caught. |
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| ## Capabilities |
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| - `local-env-loading`: load `.env` for local development without requiring shell-specific export commands. |
| - `env-precedence`: preserve process environment precedence over `.env` values. |
| - `configuration-verification`: verify dependency and docs coverage for local environment loading. |
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| ## Non-Goals |
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| - Do not commit real secrets. |
| - Do not change names or meanings of existing environment variables. |
| - Do not require `.env` to exist for verification or production startup. |
| - Do not expose any secret values through runtime APIs. |
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| ## Impact |
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| - `app.py` will import and call `load_dotenv()` before reading configuration constants. |
| - `requirements.txt` will include `python-dotenv`. |
| - `.env.example`, README, and runtime setup text may be updated to clarify the workflow. |
| - `scripts/verify.py` will assert that local env loading is wired in. |
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