CloudBin

Your cloud does not need to be trusted.

Use it as a bin.

CloudBin is a privacy-first file archival tool that lets you use cloud storage without treating your cloud provider as trusted storage.

Put your files in CloudBin. CloudBin encrypts them, archives them in the cloud, verifies the archive, and safely removes the local copy.

When you need a file again, you can restore it locally with its original filename, folder structure, and fingerprint.

The cloud stores the archive. You keep control of the files.

The Idea

Cloud storage is great for storing things.

But why should the cloud provider need to be trusted with the contents of those things?

CloudBin treats cloud storage differently:

                 YOUR COMPUTER
                      │
                 Original files
                      │
                      ▼
                  ┌─────────┐
                  │ CloudBin│
                  └────┬────┘
                       │
                 Encrypt + Verify
                       │
                       ▼
                ┌──────────────┐
                │  Cloud "Bin" │
                │  Encrypted   │
                │   Archive    │
                └──────────────┘
                       │
                 Restore when
                    needed
                       │
                       ▼
                 YOUR COMPUTER

Your cloud provider becomes a place to keep the encrypted archive, not a place you have to trust with your files.

What CloudBin Does

• Watches a local VaultDrop directory
• Encrypts files before cloud storage
• Preserves filenames and folder structure
• Creates SHA-256 fingerprints
• Uploads through rclone crypt
• Verifies the remote archive
• Stores archive metadata locally
• Removes the local file only after successful verification
• Allows the archive to be restored and verified locally

The core rule

Never remove the local file until the cloud archive has been successfully verified.

MVP

CloudBin is currently an early-stage MVP.

The current MVP supports:

• Linux
• Google Drive through rclone
• Client-side encryption with rclone crypt
• Automatic file archival
• Integrity verification
• SQLite metadata
• CLI operation
• End-to-end tested archival workflow
• PyPI installation

Quick Start

Install

python -m pip install cloudbin

Configure

rclone config
cloudbin init

Start

cloudbin start

Then place a file into your VaultDrop.

VaultDrop/
└── Documents/
    └── report.pdf

CloudBin archives it while preserving:

Documents/report.pdf

The cloud receives the encrypted archive.

Built Around a Simple Principle

CloudBin separates storage from trust.

Cloud Storage
     =
Where your archive lives

CloudBin
     =
How your archive is protected,
verified and managed

You don't have to trust the cloud provider with your plaintext files.

Security

CloudBin uses rclone crypt for client-side encryption.

The cloud provider stores the encrypted archive rather than the original file contents.

CloudBin also maintains file fingerprints and verifies the remote archive before completing the archival operation.

Encryption credentials remain your responsibility.

See SECURITY.md.

Architecture

                 CloudBin CLI
                      │
                      ▼
               VaultDrop Watcher
                      │
                      ▼
                 Vault Worker
                  │         │
                  ▼         ▼
              SQLite      Rclone
              Metadata     Client
                            │
                            ▼
                       rclone crypt
                            │
                            ▼
                      Cloud Storage

See docs/ARCHITECTURE.md.

Future Milestones

CloudBin is starting with a simple idea: use the cloud as an encrypted archive, not a trusted filesystem.

The product will evolve through a few focused milestones:

01 — Better Archive Experience

• Reliable restore and recovery
• Archive browsing
• File history and status
• Better local verification

02 — Cross-Platform

• Windows support
• macOS support
• Background service
• Desktop application

03 — More Storage Choices

• Amazon S3
• OneDrive
• Dropbox
• S3-compatible storage
• Community-supported providers

04 — Privacy & Recovery

• Privacy-preserving filenames
• Metadata protection
• Archive migration
• Disaster recovery
• Import / export

05 — CloudBin Ecosystem

• Provider/plugin architecture
• Community integrations
• Automation
• Developer API
• Community-built extensions

The goal is simple: make cloud storage a place you can use without having to trust it.

Open Source

CloudBin is built in the open.

Contributions, ideas, testing, security research, documentation, and integrations are welcome.

git clone https://github.com/rcvaram/cloudbin.git
cd cloudbin

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

python -m pip install -e .
python -m pytest

See docs/CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT License.

See LICENSE.

CloudBin

Don't trust the cloud.

Use it as a bin.