diff --git a/auth/.env b/auth/.env
index 1984457..8436766 100644
--- a/auth/.env
+++ b/auth/.env
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-version: '3'
-services:
-  your-service:
-    environment:
-      - JWT_SECRET_KEY=your_actual_secret_key
\ No newline at end of file
+# .env
+
+DATABASE_URL=postgres://username:password@localhost/mydatabase
+JWT_SECRET_KEY=qd9NLicyHJNF9A85IrE72a4GL5Rrk6rQzbERvYn6Z7BZN0SrlLZQWruJCcIRXEh4GKH_WyXquzUGTs4zvh65L84B9ZCg7r99257U2yu1WzhF8mpj7uZ06j9jBNTBvCgNO3qemh-kd4XjekpYZ9Et38T1sgksPFpF5w99gOLsHm3iUfIqa-slTplGQr3rzqIy_9HJAXv66lmx12XOAYEWv9cISIHVp6itL8v7pl38dqn0RoYGJxc2f6BHKpNzESGrsmg-xQztfkRw-EtoDEIBEdBEvitc_h2ilj2Dm2dVaEYR41jlBrWsuCi13c0EWh_N5hq37U7rOQzZwFhzAKzujw
+API_KEY=your_api_key
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/auth/Gemfile b/auth/Gemfile
index 5d8e98d..b238a1b 100644
--- a/auth/Gemfile
+++ b/auth/Gemfile
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ gem 'bcrypt'
 gem 'securerandom'
 gem 'json'
 gem 'multipart-post'
-
+gem 'dotenv'    
 
 # bundle install
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/auth/Gemfile.lock b/auth/Gemfile.lock
index b15c7c4..6ecbd40 100644
--- a/auth/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/auth/Gemfile.lock
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ GEM
   remote: https://rubygems.org/
   specs:
     bcrypt (3.1.20)
+    dotenv (2.8.1)
     json (2.7.1)
     jwt (2.7.1)
     multipart-post (2.3.0)
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ PLATFORMS
 
 DEPENDENCIES
   bcrypt
+  dotenv
   json
   jwt
   multipart-post
diff --git a/auth/auth.rb b/auth/auth.rb
index c23dd6f..2afee24 100644
--- a/auth/auth.rb
+++ b/auth/auth.rb
@@ -9,31 +9,10 @@ require 'sinatra'
 require 'json'
 require 'sqlite3'
 require 'jwt'
+require 'dotenv/load'
 
-TOKEN_SECRET = 'WChX-tQWbGbj_pGJQREoFAZGC9JWh58KSk8O7KPj-P8Nd-J88g3eSFDVuNe6zddj0ZB3yxjm_IuPNPyLhiSnxlWHImqXR6ajh3OzrzYm0bNb3f5C4IAScphyEdAfYGMcM-HvYOXxxxp5u5mryfiV3JH1CTqL1CzGyO8df7zUpRKXEXZ5SKmUvhfLU0XKCR_28FAZUgPCAi3GywkDDsH0by68j33BU5cnMT8KiEkHOX4wVUVDQc85_AuE7fN3ji_WkhnDCSLXU9dBCcXM3ziFFeX0RbvIRDG0vKdzwt4TOr4Jws7NP9w11GrUGDFKARZqvT7FTxwxO3MM-mmjb2xyGg'
-
-set :public_folder, DATA_LOCATION + FILE_STORAGE_LOCATION
-
-#puts generate_random_string(256)
-
-
-#
-#token = JWT.encode payload, hmac_secret, 'HS256'
-##puts token
-#
-#begin
-#  decoded_token = JWT.decode token, hmac_secret, true, { algorithm: 'HS256' }
-#  puts "Token is valid!"
-#  puts "Decoded token: #{decoded_token}"
-#
-#  puts data_value = decoded_token.first['data']
-#  puts test_value = decoded_token.first['test']
-#rescue JWT::DecodeError
-#  puts "Invalid token or signature!"
-#end
-
-#puts decoded_token
-
+TOKEN_SECRET = ENV['JWT_SECRET_KEY']
+puts TOKEN_SECRET
 initialize_database
 
 post '/auth/login' do
@@ -79,9 +58,9 @@ post '/auth/reauthenticate' do
 
     # At this point, the token is valid
     # You can access the claims inside the 'decoded_token' variable
-    
     uid = decoded_token.first['uid']
     
+    
     # Your reauthentication logic here...
 
     # Return a response (replace with your own logic)
diff --git a/auth/initialize_database.rb b/auth/initialize_database.rb
index 266281f..fa8d742 100644
--- a/auth/initialize_database.rb
+++ b/auth/initialize_database.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ def initialize_database
 
     database_path = DATA_LOCATION + DATABASE_SUBPATH
     file_path = DATA_LOCATION + FILE_STORAGE_LOCATION
-    puts database_path
     
     unless File.directory?(DATA_LOCATION)
         Dir.mkdir(DATA_LOCATION)