I'm working on a small project that uses Docker Compose, and I've got a `.env` file containing sensitive info like API keys and database passwords. I want to keep my configuration files, including `.env` and `docker-compose.yml`, in a private GitHub repo for better version control and ease of use. However, I'm concerned about security—if the repo were ever accessed by someone it shouldn't be, I need to ensure my secrets remain protected.
I've considered using Ansible Vault, but I'm aware that Docker Compose doesn't directly support decrypting `.env` or Compose files during runtime. My goal is to encrypt these files while still being able to push them to GitHub and easily decrypt them when I run `docker-compose up` with minimal manual steps. Has anyone found a good way to handle secrets management with Docker Compose? I would really appreciate any advice or best practices!
6 Answers
For peace of mind, it's often better to keep credentials outside of the Git repo. You could use GitHub's secrets feature for anything that needs to be referenced in workflows while keeping your code clean. Plus, consider adding a `.env.template` file to guide you and your team on required variables without revealing the actual secrets.
Exactly! And you could also just opt for using Docker secrets to manage sensitive values.
If you're interested in a more streamlined approach, consider using git-crypt. It allows you to lock and unlock specific files in your repo, making it easier to manage secrets securely without sacrificing your versioning system.
Not at all, it's pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it.
That's really interesting! Does it require a lot of setup?
Check out Sops as a tool for managing your secrets effectively. It's pretty user-friendly and works well with existing setups without much hassle.
I've heard of that! Does it simplify things for team collaborations?
Yes, Sops is great! It also integrates with other tools, making it a versatile choice.
For personal projects, I really like using 1Password’s CLI. It can automatically populate your environment variables, and since I trust their system, it works beautifully for me. Simple, secure, and efficient!
I recommend keeping your `.env` out of Git and utilizing a local secrets management solution. This time, avoid coupling your secrets directly with the project repo—maybe just rely on non-versioned `.env` files instead. It leads to a cleaner and more maintainable setup!
Good idea! I'm definitely considering managing it that way.
Totally agree. Cleaner setups are easier to manage long-term.
Ideally, you shouldn't store sensitive information in a Git repo at all, even if it's encrypted. Consider managing secrets through a password manager like HashiCorp Vault, and pull values at runtime instead of keeping them in your `.env` file. This way, you avoid potential leaks altogether.
That makes sense! So, should I just leave out the `.env` file from the repo and store it in my password manager instead?
GitHub actually allows storing encrypted secrets in repos if they're too large to be considered as normal secrets. Just make sure you know the risks!
That’s smart! Using a template keeps everyone on the same page without exposing sensitive data.