From 3ee704bfb101cbb40b962da5e55b1cb13d0054b1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: x11x <28614156+x11x@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2018 14:20:29 +1000
Subject: [PATCH] README: elaborate on settings, provide docs links, explain
 'secret.txt'

Also describe how to update to latest patch-level versions.
---
 README.md | 36 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 1 file changed, 34 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 51a3c07..571fc4d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,8 +17,20 @@ source .venv/bin/activate
 pip install -r requirements.txt
 ```
 
-Set the django ```SECRET_KEY``` and ```ALLOWED_HOSTS``` in [the settings file](etesync_server/settings.py).
-For more information on these please refer to the [django deployment checklist](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.10/howto/deployment/checklist/).
+Edit the [settings file](etesync_server/settings.py). Please refer to the
+[Django deployment
+checklist](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.10/howto/deployment/checklist/)
+for full instructions on how to configure a Django app for production. Some
+particular settings that should be edited are:
+  * [`ALLOWED_HOSTS`](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.11/ref/settings/#std:setting-ALLOWED_HOSTS)
+    -- this is the list of host/domain names or addresses on which the app
+will be served
+  * [`DEBUG`](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.11/ref/settings/#debug)
+    -- handy for debugging, set to `False` for production
+  * [`SECRET_KEY`](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.11/ref/settings/#std:setting-SECRET_KEY)
+    -- an ephemeral secret used for various cryptographic signing and token
+generation purposes. See below for how default configuration of
+`SECRET_KEY` works for this project.
 
 Now you can initialise our django app
 
@@ -50,6 +62,26 @@ That's it!
 
 Now all that's left is to open the EteSync app, add an account, and set your custom server address under the "advance" section.
 
+# `SECRET_KEY` and `secret.txt`
+
+The default configuration creates a file “`secret.txt`” in the project’s
+base directory, which is used as the value of the Django `SECRET_KEY`
+setting. You can revoke this key by deleting the `secret.txt` file and the
+next time the app is run, a new one will be generated. Make sure you keep
+the `secret.txt` file secret (don’t accidentally commit it to version
+control, exclude it from your backups, etc.). If you want to change to a
+more secure system for storing secrets, edit `etesync_server/settings.py`
+and implement your own method for setting `SECRET_KEY` (remove the line
+where it uses the `get_secret_from_file` function).  Read the Django docs
+for more information about the `SECRET_KEY` and its uses.
+
+# Updating
+
+Inside the virtualenv, run `pip install -U -r requirements.txt` to update
+dependencies to latest compatible versions of Django and
+djangorestframework (it will only update to latest patch level which should
+be API-compatible).
+
 # Supporting EteSync
 
 Please consider registering an account even if you self-host in order to support the development of EteSync, or help by spreading the word.