Skip to main content
Hedis uses environment variables for database connection, platform configuration, and external API access. Variables are auto-loaded from a .env file in go/hermes-decompiler/ via godotenv.

​
Configuration File

Create a .env file in the go/hermes-decompiler/ directory: 
cp .env.example .env
Edit the file with your configuration:
.env
MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb://localhost:27017
MONGO_DB_NAME=hedis
OS_HERMES=linux64-bin
GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here

​
Required Variables

​
MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING

​
MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING
string
required
MongoDB connection URI for fingerprint database storage.
Format: 
mongodb://[username:password@]host[:port][/database][?options]
Examples: 
# Local MongoDB
MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb://localhost:27017

# MongoDB Atlas
MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb+srv://user:[email protected]

# With authentication
MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb://admin:password@localhost:27017/hedis?authSource=admin
Used in:
  • pkg/database/main.go:16 - Database initialization
  • All commands that access the database (analyze, maintain-database, packages)
Behavior if unset: Program exits with error: 
MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING is not set
exit status 1
Source: pkg/database/main.go:18

​
OS_HERMES

​
OS_HERMES
enum
required
Hermes compiler binary platform identifier.
Allowed values:
ValuePlatformCompiler Path
osx-binmacOS (Intel/ARM)node_modules/hermes-engine/osx-bin/hermesc
linux64-binLinux x86_64node_modules/hermes-engine/linux64-bin/hermesc
Example: 
# macOS
OS_HERMES=osx-bin

# Linux
OS_HERMES=linux64-bin
Used in:
  • pkg/cmd/packages.go:33 - Package processing pipeline
  • pkg/cmd/maintainDatabase.go:44 - Database maintenance operations
Behavior if unset: Compiler path resolution fails, causing package processing to error.

​
Optional Variables

​
MONGO_DB_NAME

​
MONGO_DB_NAME
string
default:"hedis"
MongoDB database name for storing fingerprints.
Default: hedis Example: 
# Use default database
MONGO_DB_NAME=hedis

# Use custom database name
MONGO_DB_NAME=hedis_production

# Use clean database for packages command
MONGO_DB_NAME=clean
Used in:
  • pkg/database/main.go:22 - Database initialization
  • All database operations
Special case: The packages command uses database name clean for isolated package processing.

​
GITHUB_TOKEN

​
GITHUB_TOKEN
string
GitHub Personal Access Token for Security Advisory API queries.
Required for:
  • maintain-database -g - Download GitHub Security Advisories
  • maintain-database -s - Update security advisories
Token Permissions: The token requires the following scope:
  • public_repo or repo - Read access to security advisories
Generate a token:
  1. Go to GitHub Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens
  2. Click “Generate new token (classic)”
  3. Select scope: public_repo
  4. Copy the token (starts with ghp_)
Example: 
GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890
Used in:
  • pkg/pipeline/security.go:64 - GetGithubSecurityAdvisories()
  • pkg/pipeline/security.go:147 - GetAllGithubSecurityAdvisories()
Behavior if unset: When required commands are run without this token: 
GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable is not set
Source: pkg/pipeline/security.go:66, pkg/pipeline/security.go:149 Rate limiting: Without a token, GitHub API requests may be rate-limited. A warning is logged: 
// In js/get-packages/index.js:63
console.warn("GITHUB_TOKEN not set. You may face rate-limiting.");

​
Environment Loading

Environment variables are auto-loaded in main.go: 
import _ "github.com/joho/godotenv/autoload"
This automatically reads .env in the current working directory (go/hermes-decompiler/).

​
Validation

Variables are validated at runtime when accessed: 
mongoConnectionString := os.Getenv("MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING")
if mongoConnectionString == "" {
    utils.F.Println("MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING is not set")
    os.Exit(1)
}

​
Docker Configuration

When running Hedis in Docker, pass environment variables via: Using -e flag: 
docker run -e MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING=mongodb://host.docker.internal:27017 \
           -e MONGO_DB_NAME=hedis \
           -e OS_HERMES=linux64-bin \
           hedis analyze -b bundle.hbc
Using --env-file: 
docker run --env-file .env hedis analyze -b bundle.hbc
In docker-compose.yml: 
services:
  hedis:
    image: hedis
    environment:
      MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING: mongodb://mongo:27017
      MONGO_DB_NAME: hedis
      OS_HERMES: linux64-bin
      GITHUB_TOKEN: ${GITHUB_TOKEN}

​
Security Considerations

Never commit .env files to version control. The .gitignore should include:
.env
.env.local
.env.*.local
Rotate GitHub tokens regularly and use tokens with minimal required permissions.
For production deployments, use secret management systems (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, etc.) instead of .env files.

​
Troubleshooting

​
Variable Not Loading

Symptom: Environment variable returns empty string Causes:
  1. .env file not in go/hermes-decompiler/ directory
  2. Incorrect file permissions
  3. Variable not exported in shell
Solution: 
# Check .env file location
ls -la go/hermes-decompiler/.env

# Verify file permissions
chmod 600 go/hermes-decompiler/.env

# Test variable loading
cd go/hermes-decompiler
go run main.go disassemble --help

​
MongoDB Connection Failed

Symptom: connection failed or authentication failed Solution: Test connection string: 
mongosh "$MONGO_CONNECTION_STRING"
See Troubleshooting for detailed debugging.

​
GitHub API Rate Limiting

Symptom: 403 Forbidden or rate limit errors Solution: Set GITHUB_TOKEN or wait for rate limit reset: 
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  https://api.github.com/rate_limit

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us