This project is configured to prevent accidentally committing sensitive information like:

• Pi SSH credentials (username, hostname, IP addresses)
• SSH keys
• Local environment configuration

Environment Variables: All Pi connection details are stored in .env file which is excluded from git.

Run Configurations: IntelliJ run configurations automatically source .env before executing scripts.

1. Copy the example environment file:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Edit .env with your Pi's credentials:

   export PI_HOST=your-username@your-pi-hostname-or-ip
   export PI_PATH=/path/on/pi/to/deploy  # optional

3. Update Remote Debug configuration (if using):

   • Open .run/Pi-Car Remote Debug.run.xml
   • Replace your-pi-hostname-or-ip with your actual Pi hostname/IP
   • This file is gitignored in the .idea/ directory

If running scripts manually from terminal:

# Source environment first
source .env

# Then run scripts
./scripts/deploy.sh
./scripts/status.sh
./scripts/stop.sh

The following files are automatically excluded from git commits (in .gitignore):

• .env - Your local Pi credentials
• .env.local - Alternative local config
• *.pem - SSH key files
• *.key - Private keys
• id_rsa* - SSH identity files
• *.ppk - PuTTY private keys

Always verify you're not committing sensitive data:

# Check what will be committed
git status
git diff

# Verify .env is not tracked
git ls-files | grep .env  # Should return nothing

✅ Safe to commit:

• .env.example - Template with placeholder values
• Run configuration files (.run/*.xml) - They reference .env but don't contain actual credentials
• Deployment scripts - They require PI_HOST environment variable

❌ NEVER commit:

• .env - Your actual credentials
• SSH keys (*.pem, *.key, id_rsa*)
• Files with hardcoded IPs, usernames, or passwords

The Remote Debug run configuration uses a placeholder hostname. To use it:

1. Open IntelliJ IDEA
2. Go to Run → Edit Configurations
3. Select Pi-Car Remote Debug
4. Replace your-pi-hostname-or-ip with your Pi's actual hostname or IP
5. Click OK (this stores it locally in .idea/ which is gitignored)

Alternatively, manually edit .run/Pi-Car Remote Debug.run.xml and replace the HOST value.

1. Use SSH keys instead of passwords for Pi authentication
2. Never hardcode credentials in code or scripts
3. Review git diffs before committing
4. Use .env files for local configuration
5. Keep .gitignore updated with sensitive file patterns

If you accidentally committed sensitive data:

# Remove from history (use with caution!)
git filter-branch --force --index-filter \
  "git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch .env" \
  --prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all

# Force push (only if you haven't shared the repo)
git push origin --force --all

Better yet: Rotate your credentials if they were exposed!