#atom

Automated tool for obtaining and renewing SSL/TLS certificates from Let's Encrypt

Core Idea: Certbot is an open-source command-line tool that automates the process of obtaining, installing, and renewing SSL/TLS certificates from the Let's Encrypt Certificate Authority, enabling secure HTTPS connections for websites.

Key Elements

• Core Functionality

  • Certificate request and validation
  • Automatic web server configuration
  • Certificate installation
  • Automated renewal process
  • Domain validation handling
  • Plugin system for different web servers and environments
  • Support for wildcard certificates
  • Certificate revocation capabilities

• Validation Methods

  • HTTP-01 challenge (via temporary web server files)
  • DNS-01 challenge (via DNS record creation)
  • TLS-ALPN-01 challenge (via TLS protocol)
  • Manual validation options
  • Standalone web server for validation

• Web Server Integration

  • Apache plugin for direct configuration
  • Nginx plugin for server configuration
  • Standalone mode for other web servers
  • Webroot plugin for existing web directories
  • DNS plugins for various DNS providers
  • Manual mode for custom setups

• Implementation Steps

  # Basic installation on Ubuntu/Debian
  sudo apt install certbot
  
  # Apache configuration
  sudo certbot --apache -d example.com
  
  # Nginx configuration
  sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com
  
  # Standalone mode
  sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d example.com
  
  # Test renewal
  sudo certbot renew --dry-run
  

- **Automated Renewal**
    - Systemd timer or cron job configuration
    - Pre and post renewal hooks
    - Renewal notification options
    - Automatic server restart after renewal

## Connections

- **Related Concepts**: Let's Encrypt (certificate authority), SSL/TLS (security protocol), HTTPS (secure web protocol)
- **Broader Context**: Web Security (domain), PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)
- **Applications**: Nginx Reverse Proxy Setup (integration point), Cloud to VPS Migration (implementation requirement)
- **Components**: ACME Protocol (underlying standard), Certificate Validation (process)

## References

1. Official Certbot website: https://certbot.eff.org/
2. Let's Encrypt documentation: https://letsencrypt.org/docs/

#ssl #security #automation #web-server

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**Connections:**
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**Sources:**
- From: Getting back to the EU from Google Cloud to Self-Hosted EU Infrastructure