Remote GitOps¶

The idea¶

Currently, sikifanso uses a local git repository on your filesystem as the gitops source. ArgoCD reads from it via a hostPath mount — no remote server needed.

A natural next step is supporting remote git repositories (e.g., GitHub, GitLab) as the gitops source. This would change the workflow from local-only to collaborative and cloud-connected.

What would change¶

Current workflow (local)¶

Edit files locally → git commit → sikifanso app sync

• Gitops repo lives at ~/.sikifanso/clusters/<name>/gitops/
• ArgoCD reads from a hostPath mount inside the cluster
• Changes are immediate (after commit + sync)

Future workflow (remote)¶

Edit files anywhere → git push → ArgoCD syncs automatically

• Gitops repo hosted on GitHub (or any git provider)
• ArgoCD configured with repo credentials
• Standard ArgoCD polling or webhook-based sync
• No need for sikifanso app sync -- ArgoCD handles it natively

Benefits¶

• Multi-machine access — push changes from any machine, not just the one running the cluster
• Collaboration — multiple people can contribute to cluster configuration
• Pull request workflows — review and approve changes before they're applied
• CI/CD integration — validate app definitions with GitHub Actions before merging
• Audit trail — full git history on a hosted platform
• Backup — gitops state is stored remotely, not just on local disk

Open questions¶

• How to handle initial repo creation (should sikifanso create the GitHub repo?)
• Authentication (SSH keys, personal access tokens, GitHub App?)
• Should local and remote modes coexist or be mutually exclusive?
• Migration path from local to remote for existing clusters