Environment Variables Needed to Deploy CodeWiki: Complete Configuration Guide

Deploying CodeWiki requires configuring four essential environment variables: PORT for server binding, GITHUB_API_KEY for repository access, and GEMINI_API_KEY or GOOGLE_API_KEY for AI service authentication.

CodeWiki, the open-source documentation generator maintained at quangdungluong/codewiki, relies on environment variables to configure its FastAPI server and authenticate with external APIs. Understanding the environment variables needed to deploy CodeWiki is critical for both local development and production deployments, as these settings control server ports, GitHub repository access, and Google AI integrations.

Required Environment Variables for CodeWiki Deployment

The application reads configuration at runtime using os.getenv and os.environ.get calls distributed across the codebase. You must configure the following variables before starting the server to ensure full functionality.

PORT: Server Configuration

The PORT variable defines the HTTP port where the FastAPI server listens for incoming requests.

• Default value: 8001 (used if PORT is unset)
• Source file: [api/main.py](https://github.com/quangdungluong/codewiki/blob/master/api/main.py) at line 17
• Usage: The application passes this value directly to the Uvicorn server configuration

GITHUB_API_KEY: Repository Authentication

The GITHUB_API_KEY provides a GitHub personal access token that authorizes the GithubService class to fetch repository trees and README files.

• Required for: Accessing private repositories; public repos may work without it depending on API rate limits
• Source file: [api/services/github_service.py](https://github.com/quangdungluong/codewiki/blob/master/api/services/github_service.py) receives the token from callers, and [tests/test_repository_structure.py](https://github.com/quangdungluong/codewiki/blob/master/tests/test_repository_structure.py) at line 22 demonstrates loading it from the environment
• Security note: Never commit this token to source control; the repository includes .env in its ignore patterns via [config.py](https://github.com/quangdungluong/codewiki/blob/master/config.py)

GEMINI_API_KEY: Google Gemini Integration

The GEMINI_API_KEY authenticates requests to Google Gemini models through the GeminiService class.

• Source file: [api/services/gemini_service.py](https://github.com/quangdungluong/codewiki/blob/master/api/services/gemini_service.py) at line 13
• Usage: The service initializes a genai client using this key to generate documentation and code explanations

GOOGLE_API_KEY: Generative AI Chat Services

The GOOGLE_API_KEY provides authentication for the Google Generative AI client used in the streaming chat endpoint.

• Source file: [api/stream_chat.py](https://github.com/quangdungluong/codewiki/blob/master/api/stream_chat.py) at line 14
• Distinction: While GEMINI_API_KEY targets the Gemini-specific service class, GOOGLE_API_KEY is used directly in the chat streaming implementation

Configuring Environment Variables for Deployment

You can supply these variables through a .env file, your hosting platform's secret management system, or direct environment injection. The project uses python-dotenv to automatically load variables from a .env file in the project root.

Minimal .env Configuration

Create a .env file in the project root with the following structure:

# Server configuration

PORT=8001

# GitHub access (required for private repositories)

GITHUB_API_KEY=ghp_YourGitHubTokenHere

# Google AI services (required for documentation generation features)

GEMINI_API_KEY=your-gemini-api-key
GOOGLE_API_KEY=your-google-api-key

The application automatically loads these values via python-dotenv, which is invoked in [api/main.py](https://github.com/quangdungluong/codewiki/blob/master/api/main.py).

Starting the Server

With your .env file configured, start the FastAPI application:

# Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the server (automatically picks up PORT from environment)

python -m api.main

Uvicorn will bind to the port specified in your PORT variable, or default to 8001 if unset.

Programmatic Access to Environment Variables

When extending CodeWiki or writing tests, access these variables using standard Python os module patterns as implemented in the codebase.

Accessing GitHub API Key in Custom Scripts

import os
from api.services.github_service import GithubService

# Load from environment (matches pattern in tests/test_repository_structure.py line 22)

token = os.getenv("GITHUB_API_KEY")

# Initialize service for private repository access

service = GithubService(
    owner="quangdungluong", 
    repo="codewiki", 
    token=token
)

file_tree, default_branch = service.get_tree_data()
print(f"Default branch: {default_branch}")

Initializing Gemini Service

from api.services.gemini_service import GeminiService

# Constructor automatically reads GEMINI_API_KEY from environment (api/services/gemini_service.py line 13)

gemini = GeminiService()

# Service is now ready for documentation generation

Summary

Deploying CodeWiki successfully requires configuring four specific environment variables that control server behavior and external API authentication:

• PORT – Configures the FastAPI server listening port (default 8001), defined in api/main.py
• GITHUB_API_KEY – Authenticates GitHub API requests for repository access, used in api/services/github_service.py
• GEMINI_API_KEY – Powers Google Gemini model integration via api/services/gemini_service.py
• GOOGLE_API_KEY – Enables streaming chat functionality in api/stream_chat.py

Supply these through a .env file or your deployment platform's secret management system, ensuring GITHUB_API_KEY remains protected and never committed to version control.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I don't set the GITHUB_API_KEY?

Without GITHUB_API_KEY, CodeWiki cannot access private GitHub repositories and will encounter authentication errors when attempting to fetch repository trees or README files. While public repositories might work temporarily depending on GitHub's unauthenticated rate limits (60 requests per hour), production deployments absolutely require this token for reliable operation.

Can I deploy CodeWiki without the Google AI API keys?

You can start the server without GEMINI_API_KEY and GOOGLE_API_KEY, but functionality will be severely limited. The GeminiService class in api/services/gemini_service.py requires GEMINI_API_KEY to initialize the generative AI client, and api/stream_chat.py requires GOOGLE_API_KEY for the streaming chat endpoint. Without these, documentation generation and chat features will fail.

How do I configure these variables in a Docker deployment?

When deploying CodeWiki in a Docker container, pass environment variables using the -e flag or an env file:

docker run -e PORT=8001 \
           -e GITHUB_API_KEY=ghp_your_token \
           -e GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_key \
           -e GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_google_key \
           codewiki:latest

Alternatively, use Docker Compose with an .env file in your project root, ensuring the file is referenced in your docker-compose.yml under the env_file directive or environment section.

Is the PORT environment variable mandatory?

No, PORT is optional. If not specified, CodeWiki defaults to port 8001 as implemented in api/main.py at line 17. However, explicitly setting this variable is recommended for production deployments where you may need to bind to a specific port dictated by your hosting platform (such as Heroku's dynamic port assignment or cloud container requirements).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}