Environment Configuration Guide
This guide is the working registry for Aura environment variables.
Use three buckets:
product runtime: user-facing runtime configuration that affects production shells or handlersharness / tooling: local automation, browser harness, CI, or workflow bring-up knobstest-only: fixture generation, compatibility baselines, compile-fail helpers, or artifact capture used only in tests
Do not add new env reads ad hoc. Add the variable to the appropriate bucket first, then expose it through a small typed helper near the owning runtime boundary.
Product Runtime
| Variable | Owner | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
AURA_PATH | aura-agent::core::config | Base root used to resolve the default Aura storage directory |
AURA_BOOTSTRAP_BROKER_BIND | aura-terminal::env | Override bootstrap-broker bind address for mixed native/browser startup |
AURA_BOOTSTRAP_BROKER_URL | aura-terminal::env | Override externally reachable bootstrap-broker base URL |
AURA_BOOTSTRAP_BROKER_ALLOW_LAN_BIND | aura-terminal::env | Explicitly allow a bootstrap broker bind address that is visible off loopback |
AURA_BOOTSTRAP_BROKER_AUTH_TOKEN | aura-terminal::env | Bearer token required for bootstrap-broker HTTP endpoints |
AURA_BOOTSTRAP_BROKER_INVITATION_TOKEN | aura-terminal::env | Unguessable one-time token sent as the bootstrap-broker invitation retrieval header |
AURA_CLIPBOARD_MODE | aura-terminal::env | Select clipboard behavior for terminal code display (system, file_only, disabled) |
AURA_CLIPBOARD_FILE | aura-terminal::env | Capture clipboard writes to a file for constrained or automated environments |
AURA_DEMO_DEVICE_ID | aura-terminal::env | Enable demo-only neighborhood assist behavior when a demo device id is staged |
AURA_TCP_LISTEN_ADDR | aura-effects::transport::env | Override the stateless TCP receive bind address |
AURA_TUI_ALLOW_STDIO | aura-terminal::env | Disable fullscreen stdio redirection for debugging |
AURA_TUI_LOG_PATH | aura-terminal::env | Override the storage key/path used for persisted TUI logs |
Harness / Tooling
| Variable family | Owner | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
AURA_HARNESS_* | aura-harness, aura-app::workflows::runtime, aura-agent::runtime_bridge, aura-ui::app::shell::modal_submit | Harness orchestration, convergence, browser bootstrap, and render-stability controls |
AURA_WEB_APP_URL | aura-harness | Fallback browser app URL for harness/browser bring-up |
AURA_ALLOW_FLOW_COVERAGE_SKIP, AURA_FLOW_COVERAGE_* | aura-harness::governance | Governance/coverage policy knobs |
GITHUB_*, CI | harness/tooling only | CI-aware defaults for harness governance and parity rotation |
Harness env reads may stay close to the owning harness boundary, but they should still be routed through small typed helpers when reused in multiple places.
Test-only
Examples:
AURA_PROTOCOL_COMPAT_*AURA_CONSENSUS_ITF_*AURA_CONFORMANCE_*AURA_PROPERTY_MONITOR_*AURA_TELLTALE_*- compile-fail helpers that only inspect Cargo-provided environment variables
These should not be mixed into product-runtime or harness-runtime registries. Keep them local to the owning test module unless they become shared fixture infrastructure.