refactor: [#1] rename local.env to local.env.tpl for consistency

- Renamed infrastructure/config/environments/local.env to local.env.tpl
- Updated configure-env.sh to process local.env.tpl template into local.env
- Modified .gitignore to exclude generated local.env while keeping template
- Updated documentation references in README, copilot-instructions, and guides
- Ensures consistent template-based configuration approach for all environments

Both local and production environments now use the same .env.tpl -> .env pattern:
- local.env.tpl (committed template) -> local.env (generated, git-ignored)
- production.env.tpl (template) -> production.env (generated, git-ignored)

.github/copilot-instructions.md

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ This project implements a complete twelve-factor app architecture with clear sep
 ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │                 Configuration Management                    │
 ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
-│  • Environment Templates (local.env, production.env.tpl)    │
+│  • Environment Templates (local.env.tpl, production.env.tpl)  │
 │  • Configuration Processing (configure-env.sh)              │
 │  • Template Rendering (.tpl → actual configs)               │
 └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

README.md

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ clear separation between infrastructure provisioning and application deployment:
 ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │                 Configuration Management                    │
 ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
-│  • Environment Templates (local.env, production.env.tpl)    │
+│  • Environment Templates (local.env.tpl, production.env.tpl)  │
 │  • Configuration Processing (configure-env.sh)              │
 │  • Template Rendering (.tpl → actual configs)               │
 └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ clear separation between infrastructure provisioning and application deployment:
 
 - **Complete Twelve-Factor Compliance**: All 12 factors implemented
 - **Infrastructure/Application Separation**: Clean separation with `make infra-apply` and `make app-deploy`
-- **Environment-based Configuration**: Template system with `local.env` and `production.env.tpl`
+- **Environment-based Configuration**: Template system with `local.env.tpl` and `production.env.tpl`
 - **Build/Release/Run Stages**: Proper separation of configuration processing, deployment, and execution
 
 ## Demo Tracker

docs/guides/integration-testing-guide.md

@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ time make configure-local
 - `infrastructure/cloud-init/` - VM provisioning files
 
 These files are generated from templates in `infrastructure/config/templates/` using
-values from `infrastructure/config/environments/local.env`.
+values from `infrastructure/config/environments/local.env.tpl`.
 
 ### 1.7.2 Validate Generated Configuration
 

infrastructure/.gitignore

@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ terraform.tfplan.*
 config/environments/production.env
 config/environments/*.env
 !config/environments/*.env.tpl
-!config/environments/local.env
 
 # Cloud-init generated files
 user-data.yaml

infrastructure/scripts/configure-env.sh

@@ -17,6 +17,22 @@ VERBOSE="${VERBOSE:-false}"
 # shellcheck source=../../scripts/shell-utils.sh
 source "${PROJECT_ROOT}/scripts/shell-utils.sh"
 
+# Setup local environment from template
+setup_local_environment() {
+    local env_file="${CONFIG_DIR}/environments/local.env"
+    local template_file="${CONFIG_DIR}/environments/local.env.tpl"
+
+    # Always regenerate local.env from template for consistency
+    if [[ ! -f "${template_file}" ]]; then
+        log_error "Local template not found: ${template_file}"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    log_info "Creating local.env from template..."
+    cp "${template_file}" "${env_file}"
+    log_success "Local environment file created from template: ${env_file}"
+}
+
 # Setup production environment from template
 setup_production_environment() {
     local env_file="${CONFIG_DIR}/environments/production.env"
@@ -55,9 +71,11 @@ setup_production_environment() {
 load_environment() {
     local env_file="${CONFIG_DIR}/environments/${ENVIRONMENT}.env"
 
-    # Special handling for production environment
+    # Special handling for template-based environments
     if [[ "${ENVIRONMENT}" == "production" ]]; then
         setup_production_environment
+    elif [[ "${ENVIRONMENT}" == "local" ]]; then
+        setup_local_environment
     fi
 
     if [[ ! -f "${env_file}" ]]; then