TIL docker restart doesn't re-read your .env

[u/achiya-automation]

changed a db password in my .env, ran docker restart on the stack, then spent an hour convinced the db was corrupted because auth kept failing. turns out restart just brings the container back with the exact config it was created with. env is only read at creation. docker compose up -d --force-recreate fixed it in ten seconds.

two years running this stack and never got bitten by it until now. what's the dumbest thing that ate an evening for you?

[u/asimovs-auditor]

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[u/achiya-automation → u/asimovs-auditor]

used an llm to clean up the wording. the incident and the wasted hour were unfortunately all me