environment variables with Redis

Question

I have a Rails app that sends email notifications using Gmail (it's currently only in development mode). I set the username and password with environment variables like this

GMAIL_USERNAME='[email protected]' GMAIL_PASSWORD='mygreatpassword' rails s

and everything works fine. However, after I added sidekiq/redis in order to send emails as a background job, I'm getting an authentication error when it tries to send the email.

2013-04-24T19:26:45Z 887 TID-ovdxl6qxs WARN: {"retry"=>true, "queue"=>"default", "timeout"=>30, "class"=>"Sidekiq::Extensions::DelayedMailer", "args"=>["---\n- !ruby/class 'Notifier'\n- :answer_updated\n- - !ruby/object:Answer\n    attributes:\n      id: 32\n      content: Billy\n      accepted: \n      user_id: 37\n      question_id: 38\n      created_at: 2013-04-24 19:26:44.948753000 Z\n      updated_at: 2013-04-24 19:26:44.948753000 Z\n  - !ruby/object:User\n    attributes:\n      id: 35\n      email: [email protected]\n      encrypted_password: $2a$10$5XLIJ6F1KNPOjbTUX3fqROE0oDHgf/WnSGE4OhCm7g.pzN1bzLS0q\n      reset_password_token: \n      reset_password_sent_at: \n      remember_created_at: 2013-04-19 19:28:52.926838000 Z\n      sign_in_count: 9\n      current_sign_in_at: 2013-04-24 19:17:31.694245000 Z\n      last_sign_in_at: 2013-04-22 18:24:29.946303000 Z\n      current_sign_in_ip: 127.0.0.1\n      last_sign_in_ip: 127.0.0.1\n      created_at: 2013-04-18 19:28:09.569895000 Z\n      updated_at: 2013-04-24 19:17:31.695692000 Z\n      name: [email protected]\n      lawyer: \n      student: \n"], "jid"=>"4c9cb74b27080c4df581715c", "error_message"=>"530-5.5.1 Authentication Required. Learn more at\n", "error_class"=>"Net::SMTPAuthenticationError", "failed_at"=>2013-04-24 19:26:45 UTC, "retry_count"=>0}
2013-04-24T19:26:45Z 887 TID-ovdxl6qxs WARN: 530-5.5.1 Authentication Required. Learn more at

After adding sidekiq, I started the rails server the same way, with the GMAIL_USERNAME and GMAIL_PASSWORD environment variables preceding the 'rails s' command. I also started redis this way

redis-server /usr/local/etc/redis.conf

and sidekiq like this

bundle exec sidekiq

Then, after adding redis, I used sidekiq's 'delay' method instead of 'deliver' to send the message. However, as noted above, I'm getting the authentication error message.

    def after_create(answer)
      answer.question.watchers.each do |user|
      Notifier.delay.answer_updated(answer, user)
      # Notifier.answer_updated(answer, user).deliver  
    end 

Update:

These are my config action mailer settings

config.action_mailer.smtp_settings = {
  address: "smtp.gmail.com",
  port: 587,
  domain: "localhost:3000",
  authentication: "plain",
  enable_starttls_auto: true,
  user_name: ENV["GMAIL_USERNAME"],
  password: ENV["GMAIL_PASSWORD"]
}

This is what it says after "learn more at"

2013-04-25T00:11:30Z 6904 TID-owuofcbno WARN: /Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:948:in `check_response'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:917:in `getok'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:832:in `mailfrom'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:659:in `send_message'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/network/delivery_methods/smtp.rb:145:in `block in deliver!'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:520:in `start'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/network/delivery_methods/smtp.rb:144:in `deliver!'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/message.rb:2034:in `do_delivery'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/message.rb:229:in `block in deliver'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/actionmailer-3.2.12/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:415:in `block in deliver_mail'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/activesupport-3.2.12/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:123:in `block in instrument'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/activesupport-3.2.12/lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in `instrument'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/activesupport-3.2.12/lib/active_support/notifications.rb:123:in `instrument'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/actionmailer-3.2.12/lib/action_mailer/base.rb:413:in `deliver_mail'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.4.4/lib/mail/message.rb:229:in `deliver'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/extensions/action_mailer.rb:23:in `perform'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:49:in `block (3 levels) in process'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:109:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:109:in `block in invoke'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/timeout.rb:11:in `block in call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/1.9.1/timeout.rb:68:in `timeout'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/timeout.rb:10:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/active_record.rb:6:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/retry_jobs.rb:50:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/logging.rb:11:in `block in call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/logging.rb:22:in `with_context'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/server/logging.rb:7:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:111:in `block in invoke'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:114:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/middleware/chain.rb:114:in `invoke'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:48:in `block (2 levels) in process'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:87:in `stats'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/sidekiq-2.10.1/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb:47:in `block in process'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/calls.rb:23:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/calls.rb:23:in `public_send'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/calls.rb:23:in `dispatch'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/future.rb:18:in `block in initialize'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/internal_pool.rb:48:in `call'
/Users/me/.rbenv/versions/1.9.3-p327/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1/gems/celluloid-0.12.4/lib/celluloid/internal_pool.rb:48:in `block in create'

Answer 1

Sidekiq starts it's own rails environment and is missing the environment variables for configuring ActionMailer, this is why you get the exception when using sidekiq, but not when sending within the rails server process itself.

Basically you just have to start the sidekiq worker using the same variables like the server:

GMAIL_USERNAME='[email protected]' GMAIL_PASSWORD='mygreatpwd' bundle exec sidekiq

Though this might make work okay, consider to use something like foreman to handle this (especially in development).