Learn how to use Kuba to securely run your applications with environment variables from cloud providers.

Running Commands with Kuba

The basic syntax for using Kuba is:

kuba run -- <your-command>

This will fetch all secrets defined in your kuba.yaml file and pass them as environment variables to your command.

Node.js Application

kuba run -- node dist/server.js

Python Application

kuba run -- python app.py

Docker Container

kuba run -- docker run myapp

Shell Script

kuba run -- ./deploy.sh

Specifying Environments

You can specify which environment configuration to use with the --env flag:

kuba run --env development -- node app.js
kuba run --env staging -- python app.py
kuba run --env production -- docker run myapp
If no environment is specified, Kuba will use the default environment from your configuration.

Development Workflow

Use Kuba during development to avoid managing local .env files:

# Start development server with secrets
kuba run --env development -- npm run dev

# Run tests with test environment secrets
kuba run --env testing -- npm test

# Run database migrations
kuba run --env development -- npm run migrate

CI/CD Integration

Integrate Kuba into your CI/CD pipelines:

# Build and test with staging secrets
kuba run --env staging -- npm run build
kuba run --env staging -- npm test

# Deploy with production secrets
kuba run --env production -- docker build -t myapp .
kuba run --env production -- docker push myapp

Docker Integration

Use Kuba with Docker containers:

# Run container with secrets as environment variables
kuba run -- docker run -e DATABASE_URL -e API_KEY myapp

# Build container with secrets available during build
kuba run -- docker build --build-arg DATABASE_URL --build-arg API_KEY .

Common Issues

Authentication Errors

Ensure your cloud provider credentials are properly configured. Check the Cloud Providers guide for setup instructions.

Configuration Errors

Validate your kuba.yaml file. Use kuba init to generate a valid template.

Permission Errors

Ensure your credentials have the necessary permissions to access the secrets specified in your configuration.

Debug Mode

Enable debug mode to see detailed information about what Kuba is doing:

kuba run --debug -- node app.js

Security

  • Never commit secrets to version control
  • Use environment-specific configurations
  • Rotate secrets regularly
  • Limit access to production secrets

Configuration

  • Use descriptive environment variable names
  • Group related secrets with secret paths
  • Leverage variable interpolation
  • Document your configuration structure

Deployment

  • Test configurations in staging first
  • Use CI/CD for consistent deployments
  • Monitor secret access and usage
  • Have a rollback strategy

Development

  • Use local development environments
  • Share configuration templates, not secrets
  • Test with different cloud providers
  • Keep configurations in sync across teams

Configuration Guide

Learn how to set up your kuba.yaml configuration file.

Configuration Guide

Cloud Providers

Set up authentication and permissions for your cloud providers.

Cloud Providers Guide