Environment Variables

AI Image Renamer CLI uses environment variables for configuration. This page documents all available variables and how to set them.

Required Variables

GROQ_API_KEY

Your Groq API key for authenticating with the AI service.

Required: Yes

Format: String starting with gsk_

Purpose: Authenticates your requests to the Groq API.

How to Obtain:

1. Visit console.groq.com
2. Sign in or create an account
3. Click "Create API Key"
4. Copy the key (shown only once)

Setting the Variable:

Bash (~/.bashrc)

echo 'export GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_your-key-here"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Zsh (~/.zshrc)

echo 'export GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_your-key-here"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

PowerShell ($PROFILE)

# Run once to add to profile
Add-Content -Path $PROFILE -Value '$env:GROQ_API_KEY = "gsk_your-key-here"'
. $PROFILE  # Reload profile

Fish (~/.config/fish/config.fish)

set -gx GROQ_API_KEY "gsk_your-key-here"

Verification:

echo $GROQ_API_KEY
# Should output: gsk_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Error if Missing:

RuntimeError: GROQ_API_KEY environment variable is not set. 
Please set it using: export GROQ_API_KEY='your-key-here' 
Get a free key at: https://console.groq.com/keys

Configuration Methods

Method 1: Shell Configuration (Global)

Set the variable in your shell's configuration file for persistence across sessions.

Advantages:

• Available in all terminal sessions
• Survives restarts
• Works system-wide

Disadvantages:

• Key stored in plain text file
• All applications can read it

Method 2: .env File (Project-Local)

Create a .env file in your working directory:

# .env file contents
GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_your-key-here"

The tool automatically loads this file using python-dotenv.

Advantages:

• Per-project configuration
• Easy to manage different keys for different projects
• Follows 12-factor app principles

Disadvantages:

• Risk of committing to version control
• Must create file in each project

Security

Always add .env to your .gitignore:

echo ".env" >> .gitignore

Method 3: Session-Only (Temporary)

Set for the current terminal session only:

export GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_your-key-here"

Advantages:

• Key not stored anywhere
• Cleared when terminal closes
• Good for testing or CI/CD

Disadvantages:

• Must set for each new session
• Easy to forget

Method 4: One-Time Command

Set inline with the command:

GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_your-key-here" rename-images photo.jpg

Advantages:

• No persistent storage
• Precise control

Disadvantages:

• Verbose for repeated use
• Key visible in shell history

Advanced Configuration

Multiple API Keys

If you have multiple Groq accounts or projects, use different .env files:

# Project A
cd project-a
echo 'GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_key_for_project_a"' > .env

# Project B
cd ../project-b
echo 'GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_key_for_project_b"' > .env

CI/CD Integration

In CI/CD pipelines, use secret environment variables:

GitHub Actions:

env:
  GROQ_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.GROQ_API_KEY }}

GitLab CI:

variables:
  GROQ_API_KEY: $GROQ_API_KEY  # Set in GitLab CI/CD settings

Docker:

docker run -e GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_xxx" myimage

Debugging

Check if your environment is configured correctly:

# Verify key is set
if [ -z "$GROQ_API_KEY" ]; then
  echo "GROQ_API_KEY is not set"
else
  echo "GROQ_API_KEY is configured (starts with: ${GROQ_API_KEY:0:7}...)"
fi

Security Best Practices

Do's

✅ Use .env files with .gitignore

✅ Use secret management in CI/CD

✅ Rotate keys periodically

✅ Use separate keys for development and production

Don'ts

❌ Commit API keys to version control

❌ Share keys in chat or email

❌ Use production keys in development

❌ Store keys in publicly accessible locations

If a Key Is Compromised

1. Go to console.groq.com/keys
2. Find the compromised key
3. Click "Revoke" or "Delete"
4. Create a new key
5. Update your configuration

Related Topics

• Requirements — System requirements
• Installation — Installing the tool
• Troubleshooting — Common issues