Using an encrypted git repository on Dropbox to store my puppet code in the Cloud.

Today, most technologists have said they love the cloud storage paradigm and to have files and configs at their finger tips , no matter where they are , or how they access them.

Dropbox was arguably the first, easiest and globally available cloud storage solution out their, and it's the one I continue to use today. Like all cloud solutions - apart from owncloud - they have one drawback, who else can look at your files? This tends to make users suspicious and cautious about what they are prepared to store in the cloud, me too. As I control various ssh keys with my puppet code, I certainly don't want people having access to these.

So the solution I found was Truecrypt - a great open source project that allows you to create encrypted  volumes that you can mount on all popular operating systems, including Linux, OSX and Microsoft. As I use all three of these systems at various times, it gives me great coverage. In the post PC era, it would be nice to see IOS and Android versions available in the future, but in all honesty I have not seen a real need yet.

My purposes only required a small amount of space, as code does not generally take up too much room, so I only made it 10MB. Your mileage may vary of course. There are good tutorials on the Truecrypt web site, and if you like what you see, then please donate to the project.

Once Truecrypt has been installed , created your volume and you have mounted it , you can now create your git repository using standard git commands like so:

git init --bare project.git

You can then take the project you have been working on your local hard drive, and commit it to your new git repo, like so

git remote add origin /media/truecrypt1/git/project.git
git push -u origin master

That's all there is too it, so now I have my puppet git repository where ever I go, and I can very quickly bring a machine up to my requirements with all the settings and packages I need to get work done with puppet and a few git commands. It literally saves hours of time, and I can rest easy in the knowledge it is safe in the cloud.

You can obviously use Truecrypt for storing all sorts of other things in the cloud, as I do. If you want to make sure only you can see sensitive data then this a good way to go.