Pure-JS method of importing settings into Meteor.js. This file is put in server/lib.

1_settings.js

environment = process.env.NODE_ENV || "development";

var settings = {
  development: {
    public: {},
    private: {}
  },
  staging: {
    public: {},
    private: {}
  },
  production: {
    public: {},
    private: {}
  }
};

if (!process.env.METEOR_SETTINGS) {
  console.log("=> No METEOR_SETTINGS passed in, using locally defined settings.");

  if (environment === "production") {
    Meteor.settings = settings.production;
  } else if (environment === "staging") {
    Meteor.settings = settings.staging;
  } else {
    Meteor.settings = settings.development;
  }

  // Push a subset of settings to the client.
  if (Meteor.settings && Meteor.settings.public) {
    __meteor_runtime_config__.PUBLIC_SETTINGS = Meteor.settings.public;
  }
}

Brilliant, but how do you prevent publishing private settings in your git repo using this pattern? or do you just gitignore this file entirely?

if you are a 'dev' at some point of time, you will have to consider buying a github account upgrade for private repos and as private repos its only visible to owner and the ones whom he shares with.

Regardless of if the repo is private or public, you should never push things like private keys or passwords to other services. Assume everyone at GitHub can see them (they can).

You can create your production settings file locally, then scp it to your server initially, and add it to your .gitignore file.