Managing secrets in production is critical to ensure the security and integrity of an application. This documentation provides a step-by-step guide on how the slimtoolkit/slim project handles and stores secrets in a production environment, focusing on the implementation within the Golang context, as well as utilizing Docker and Makefile for build and deployment processes.

Overview

Secrets can include API keys, database credentials, and other sensitive information. For the slimtoolkit/slim project, secrets should never be hardcoded or embedded directly into the source code. Instead, environment variables and secure storage solutions should be utilized.

Environment Variables

One recommended approach is to use environment variables. This keeps sensitive information outside of the codebase. To set an environment variable, export it in your shell or define it in your Docker setup.

Example: Setting Environment Variables

export DATABASE_URL="your_database_url"
export API_KEY="your_api_key"

In your Go application, access these variables using os.Getenv:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "os"
)

func main() {
    dbURL := os.Getenv("DATABASE_URL")
    apiKey := os.Getenv("API_KEY")

    fmt.Println("Using database at:", dbURL)
    fmt.Println("Using API Key:", apiKey)
}

Dockerfile Integration

When containerizing your application using Docker, ensure that secrets are supplied through environment variables in your Dockerfile. Avoid hardcoding them directly into the Docker image.

Example: Dockerfile Configuration

WORKDIR /go/src

# Install golangci-lint for linting
ARG GOLANGCILINT_VERSION=v1.24.0
RUN curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/golangci/golangci-lint/master/install.sh | sh -s -- -b $(go env GOPATH)/bin ${GOLANGCILINT_VERSION}
RUN go get -v -u github.com/kunalkushwaha/ltag && rm -rf /go/src/github.com/kunalkushwaha

# Copy the Go application
COPY . .

# Set environment variables for production
ENV DATABASE_URL="your_database_url"
ENV API_KEY="your_api_key"

Makefile Usage

The Makefile can be used to build the Docker image while specifying build arguments for secrets, thereby preventing them from being hardcoded. Replace the example values with your real secrets when running the build.

Example: Building with Makefile

build_with_secrets:
    @docker build --build-arg DATABASE_URL=$(DATABASE_URL) --build-arg API_KEY=$(API_KEY) -t slimtoolkit/slim .

Invoke this target using:

make build_with_secrets

Testing with Secrets

When running tests, be mindful of how secrets are handled. Do not expose any real secret values in your test cases. Use mock or dummy values adequately.

Example: Using Build Constraints for Tests

Use build constraints to manage secrets in tests efficiently. For instance, a file could contain sensitive information but is included only when running end-to-end tests.

// +build e2e

package mypackage

import (
    "testing"
    "os"
)

func TestWithSecret(t *testing.T) {
    secret := os.Getenv("MY_SECRET")
    if secret == "" {
        t.Error("MY_SECRET environment variable must be set for e2e tests")
    }
    // Your test logic using the secret
}

Conclusion

By utilizing environment variables, Docker configurations, and targeted testing practices, the slimtoolkit/slim project ensures that production secrets are handled securely. It is essential to remain vigilant about where and how secrets are stored and accessed, minimizing exposure during development and deployment.

This documentation highlights how to manage production secrets effectively using github.com/slimtoolkit/slim practices. For further reading or more advanced techniques, developers may need to consult additional resources on Go’s best practices in security and secret management.