Accept an empty SECRET_KEY when DEBUG is True

[Luc Saffre]

Django should accept an empty SECRET_KEY when DEBUG is True. Okay Django 1.5 is more severe about security leaks and it's okay to say that a SECRET_KEY setting is required (​https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/releases/1.4/#secret-key-setting-is-required), but when DEBUG is True Django shouldn't be so nit-picky.

[Aymeric Augustin]

This proposal assumes that no one will run a Django website in production with DEBUG = True.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid this isn't a valid assumption.

[Baptiste Mispelon]

I'm -1 on this idea too:

• It's one more thing that can break when changing DEBUG from True to False.

• startproject will anyway generate a good SECRET_KEY for you, so you get a fully functional settings file out of the box (especially with the new project template).

• Even if you try to use an empty secret key, django will give you an error message with instructions on how to fix it.