There's a known problem in server configuration and deploying, when you have to store your private data such as: database passwords, application secret-keys, OAuth secret keys and so on, outside of the git repository. Even if this repository is private, it is a security risk to just publish them into the world wide web. What are the drawbacks of storing them separately?
1. These files are not version controlled. Filenames change, locations change, passwords change from time to time, some new information appears, other is removed. And you can not tell for sure which version of the configuration file was used with each commit.
2. When building the automated deployment system there will be one extra step: download and place these secret-configuration files where they need to be. So you have to maintain an extra secure server, where everything is stored.
`git-secret` is a bash tool to store your private data inside a `git` repo. How's that? Basically, it just encrypts, using `gpg`, the tracked files with the public keys of all the users that you trust. So everyone of them can decrypt these files using only their personal secret key. Why deal with all this private-public keys stuff? Well, to make it easier for everyone to manage access rights. There are no passwords that change. When someone is out - just delete his public key, reencrypt the files, and he won't be able to decrypt secrets anymore.
`git secret` relies on two dependecies: [`git`][1] and [`gpg`][2]. Download and install them before using this project. `git-secret` is tested to work with:
git version 2.7.0
gpg (GnuPG) 1.4.20
### Supported platforms
`git secret` works with `Mac OS X` >= 10.9, `Ubuntu` >= 14.04 and `Debian` >= 8.3
1. Clone the repository first: `git clone https://github.com/sobolevn/git-secret.git git-secret`
2. Run `cd git-secret && make build`
3. Move `git-secret` file and `man/` folder somewhere inside your `$PATH`, or extend your `$PATH` to contain `git-secret` file and `man/` folder
**Local `.deb` package**
1. Download the latest realease [here](https://github.com/sobolevn/git-secret/releases)
2. Unpack, and run `make build-deb`, it is possible to set the output folder with `$SCRIPT_BUILD_DIR` variable.
3. Install the local `.deb` package with `dpkp -i git-secret-package-name.deb`, note that this command may require `sudo` and the package name will be different
0. Before starting, make sure you have created `gpg` RSA key-pair: public and secret key identified by your email address.
1. Initialize `git-secret` repository by running `git secret init` command. `.gitsecret/` folder will be created.
2. Add first user to the system by running `git secret tell your@gpg.email-id`.
3. Now it's time to add files you wish to encrypt inside the `git-secret` repository. It can be done by running `git secret add <filenames...>` command. Make sure these files are ignored, otherwise `git secret` won't allow you to add them, as these files will be stored unencrypted.
4. When done, run `git secret hide` all files, which you have added by `git secret add` command will be encrypted with added public-keys by the `git secret tell` command. Now it is safe to commit your changes. **But**. It's recommended to add `git secret hide` command to your `pre-commit` hook, so you won't miss any changes.
Note, that it is possible to add yourself to the system without decrypting existing files. It will be possible to decrypt them after reencrypting them with the new keyring. So, if you don't want unexpected keys added, make sure to configure some server-side security policy with the `pre-receive` hook.
You can configure several things to suit your workflow better. To do so, just set the required variable to the value you need. This can be done in your shell environment file or with the each `git-secret` command.
These settings are available to be changed:
* `$SECRETS_GPG_COMMAND` - sets the `gpg` alternatives, defaults to `gpg`. It can be changed to `gpg`, `gpg2`, `pgp`, `/usr/local/gpg` or any other value. After doing so rerun tests to be sure, that it won't break anything. Tested to be working with: `gpg`, `gpg2`.
* `$SECRETS_EXTENSION` - sets the secret files extension, defaults to `.secret`. It can be changed to any valid file extension.
