About
The purpose of this collaboration convention is to define a few rules to make our discussions more reliable and easier. This page is not immutable and can evolve.
Passwords
We prefer to avoid, but sometimes we need to store your passwords. To ensure the security of these passwords, we use the Bitwarden software.
This software is compatible with Windows / MacOS / Android / iOS and allows you to store passwords in a secure safe for later use in a browser or application. You just need to know the password for the safe to be able to use the passwords it contains.
Another advantage is that it can generate complex passwords for you to avoid always reusing the same one and it stores the result for you.
Using such a tool eliminates the need to send passwords by instant messaging or email. The whole team is storing their credentials inside Bitwarden.
Source code management
To manage the code of all our projects we use the Gitlab platform. You can create an account and an organization to allow you creating private repositories. If you use another tool of this type, no worries for us we could very well use it. Our main concern is to have a central place to work on the project.
Gitlab integrates an advanced rights management system, if you need, we could assist you in creating accesses and train you to use it.
Please note : If you wish to subscribe to a paid subscription on a platform of this type, you will have to take care of the transaction.
Hosting
Sometimes we are asked what is “our” technical solution for hosting and servers. We use Scaleway, a French cloud provider of very high quality and which offers good value for money. It is possible to create an online machine in a few clicks for a few euros per month. The range of servers is complete and they can support their users in their plateform evolution.
It’s a good place to start if you don’t have your own infrastructure yet.
Server installation is a paid service or that you can have performed by a third party. We do not outsource or maintain the machines in production, we could advise several competent people if necessary.
If you prefer an all in one solution, we advise to choose CleverCloud, a PaaS (Plateform as a Service) french company.
Please note : You will need to create your own account on this platform and fill in your payment information. You will thus be autonomous with the machines which will have been used during the development.
Domain Name and DNS
We go through a dedicated provider for the registration of our domain names: OVH. This is an historical choice on our side, others providers also allow you to register your domain names: Gandi, Scaleway…
You can create an account with OVH and deposit your domain name. If necessary, we can assist you with the purchase or configuration of the domain name.
Once this domain is created, you can add a technical contact who will be our identifier. This will allow us to be able to access your domain name without knowing your credentials.
Please note : You will need to create your own account on this platform and fill in your payment information. You will be able to make your own purchases and be autonomous once our service is completed.
HTTPS and SSL
It is now recommended to provide an HTTPS URL for your site. We are used to using Let’s Encrypt for this.
The advantage of Let’s Encrypt is to generate free certificates to use for your site. These certificates have a limited lifespan (90 days) but can be renewed free of charge.
If you have your certificate or if you want to buy a higher level of security than that offered by Let’s Encrypt, we can use it without issues. If you need help with this step we can support you.
Please note : We should discuss this step before purchasing your certificate. There are different types of certificates and costs can quickly increase.
Encrypted communications
If you wish, we can protect our exchanges via a GPG key.
First, you need to install GPGTools for MacOS or GPG4Win for Windows. By installing this program, you will be able to create your certificate and thus protect your access.
- Mac : It’s time to encrypt your Email
- Chrome/Firefox (if you use Gmail/Yahoo! Mail/Outlook.com/…) : Mailvelope
- Windows (actually no tutorial)
Since these operations can be technical, contact us to set up these solutions.
Messaging and calls
We are using the Matrix network daily for our internal communications. The Element application is compatible on every kind of devices and systems, it allows communicating through this network.
Of course, we can adapt to another messaging system. We’ll keep an eye on the security and data sharing experience.
