04.01.2025

Simplify SSL certificate management with certinfo

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Managing SSL/TLS certificates is crucial for securing websites and services. certinfo is a simple yet powerful tool designed to simplify this task. In this post, we’ll delve into what certinfo offers, how to use it, and why it’s a must-have for anyone working with SSL/TLS certificates.

What is certinfo?

certinfo is an open-source command-line utility. It allows you to analyze SSL/TLS certificates efficiently. Whether you’re a DevOps engineer, sysadmin, or SRE, certinfo simplifies verifying certificate properties like expiration dates, subject names, and issuer details.

Key Features:

Easy-to-use CLI interface.
Detailed certificate information, including SANs (Subject Alternative Names).
Support for PEM, DER, and other common formats.
Validates certificate chains for potential issues.
Lightweight and fast, with minimal dependencies.

Why Use certinfo?

Managing certificates is often overlooked until they expire or fail validation. certinfo helps mitigate risks by offering quick insights into certificate status. Key benefits include:

Prevent Downtime: Identify certificates close to expiration.
Simplify Compliance: Verify certificates meet security standards.
Enhance Security: Catch misconfigured or untrusted certificates.

How to Install certinfo

Installing certinfo is straightforward. Here’s how to get started:

Installation via Binary:

Download the latest binary release for your operating system from the official certinfo page.

Download and extract the binary:

wget https://github.com/pete911/certinfo/releases/download/v1.0.4/certinfo_1.0.31_linux_amd64.tar.gz
tar xzvf certinfo_1.0.31_linux_amd64.tar.gz

Move it to your PATH:
```
sudo mv certinfo /usr/local/bin/  
```
Verify installation:
```
certinfo --version  
```

Building from Source:

If you prefer building from source, follow these steps:

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/sysadminpm/certinfo.git  
cd certinfo

Build the binary:
```
go build -o certinfo .  
```

Using certinfo

Here’s how to use certinfo for various tasks:

Check a Certificate File

Use the following command to analyze a local certificate:

certinfo -file /path/to/certificate.pem

Analyze a Certificate from a URL

Analyze a remote certificate directly:

certinfo -url https://example.com

Check Expiration Dates

certinfo highlights expiration details to prevent downtime. For example:

certinfo -file cert.pem | grep Expiration

Validate a Certificate Chain

Ensure the full chain is valid:

certinfo -file chain.pem -validate

Best Practices for SSL/TLS Certificate Management

While certinfo simplifies certificate analysis, managing certificates effectively requires best practices:

Use automation to renew and deploy certificates (e.g., Let's Encrypt, Certbot).
Monitor certificate expiration with tools like Akmatori to avoid service disruptions.
Regularly audit certificates for weak ciphers or outdated algorithms.

For advanced automation, consider Akmatori. Akmatori simplifies incident response, minimizes downtime, and ensures seamless monitoring of SSL/TLS-related issues.

Enhance Infrastructure with certinfo and Gcore

Managing secure, reliable infrastructure requires the right tools. certinfo ensures your certificates are under control, while Gcore offers robust virtual machines and bare-metal servers worldwide. Combine both to deliver high-performance, secure services.

Conclusion

certinfo is a valuable addition to your toolkit for SSL/TLS certificate management. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, it helps prevent common certificate-related issues.

Start using certinfo today, and explore advanced monitoring solutions with Akmatori. For reliable infrastructure, check out Gcore.

Your services deserve to stay secure, reliable, and available—24/7.

Akmatori team