Import failed: Area code not set: Area code must be set before starting a session.

[springerin]

Preconditions

1. Magento 2.2.3 or 2.2.4
2. PHP 7.1.18
3. Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS
4. mysql Ver 14.14 Distrib 5.7.22-22, for debian-linux-gnu (x86_64) using 6.3

Steps to reproduce

1. clean install of Magento 2.2.3 or 2.2.4
2. bin/magento app:config:dump
3. bin/magento app:config:import
4. change only the base_url in the env.php files
   'web' => array ( 'unsecure' => array ( 'base_url' => 'http://m223ee.ffm/', 'base_link_url' => '{{unsecure_base_url}}',
5. bin/magento app:config:import

Expected result

1. Expected output :
   Processing configurations data from configuration file...
   System config was processed

Actual result

1. Output: Processing configurations data from configuration file...
   Import failed: Area code not set: Area code must be set before starting a session.
2. var/log/exception.log:

report.ERROR: Area code not set: Area code must be set before starting a session. {"exception":"[object] (Magento\Framework\Exception\State\InvalidTransitionException(code: 0): Area code not set: Area code must be set before starting a session. at /home/springerin/Workspace/Progetti/m224ee/vendor/magento/module-config/Model/Config/Importer.php:137, Magento\Framework\Exception\SessionException(code: 0): Area code not set: Area code must be set before starting a session. at /home/springerin/Workspace/Progetti/m224ee/vendor/magento/framework/Session/SessionManager.php:175, Magento\Framework\Exception\LocalizedException(code: 0): Area code is not set at /home/springerin/Workspace/Progetti/m224ee/vendor/magento/framework/App/State.php:152)"} []

[ananth-iyer]

From the env.php file you had manually setting store url and Area code means store/website id.

You have to set MAGE_RUN_TYPE & MAGE_RUN_CODE in the index.php
MAGE_RUN_TYPE means store or website

Reference to setup multiple stores or websites: https://devdocs.magento.com/guides/v2.2/config-guide/multi-site/ms_over.html

[springerin]

@ananth-iyer I think you misunderstood the issue and your answer doesn't really relate to the bug since is something wrong with the cli command and not with the frontend. Plus modifying the index.php as in the guide you're referencing to says, isn't the only way to go.

[engcom-backlog-nickolas]

Hello @springerin, thank you for your report.
We've acknowledged the issue and added to our backlog.

[joeshelton-wagento]

I was able to work around the issue by deleting the system_config_snapshot flag.

DELETE FROM flag WHERE flag_code = 'system_config_snapshot';

[nathancasebolt]

@joeshelton-wagento Are you sure re-running setup:upgrade won't regenerate this field? It's been a long time since I dealt with this, and I can't recall for certain.

My problem with this was that I have two development servers, each of which needs their own system => default => web => secure => base_url value. I got around the problem by removing this setting from env.php and sticking it in an $_ENV environment variable. It's kludgy by my lights, but my colleague and I can finally develop concurrently without crashing each other's server.