How to Use Certbot with Linode DNS for Automated SSL Certificates

Learn how to use Certbot with Linode DNS for automated SSL Certificates. Our Linode Support team is here to answer queries and concerns.

How to Use Certbot with Linode DNS for Automated SSL Certificates

Securing our website with HTTPS is essential, and tools like Certbot make it easier than ever. If we are using Linode DNS to manage our domains, we can automate the process of obtaining SSL certificates using the `certbot-dns-linode` plugin. This guide walks you through the setup process, including real-world examples and common configuration tips.

What Is Certbot and Why Use It with Linode DNS?

Certbot is an easy-to-use, free tool that automates the process of obtaining and renewing SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt.

Using Certbot with DNS plugins like `dns-linode` enables DNS-01 challenge verification. This is ideal for wildcard certificates or when we don’t want to expose a web server to the public.

The `dns-linode` plugin interacts with the Linode API to add and remove the necessary TXT records during the verification process.

Curious whether Linode is the right choice for your hosting needs? Here’s an in-depth look at Linode’s performance as a hosting provider.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure we have:

• A Linode account.
• The domain’s DNS is managed through Linode.
• Certbot is installed on the server.
• A Linode API token with appropriate access.

You may also need SSH access to your server. If you’re unsure how to set it up, check out this guide on how to generate an SSH key for Linode.

Step 1. Generate a Linode API Token

1. First, go to the Linode account.
2. Then, head to Applications & API Tokens.
3. Now, create a new Personal Access Token with read/write access to DNS records.
4. Copy and store the token securely.

Step 2. Create a Credentials File for Certbot

Create a file to store the API token securely. For example:

# ~/.secrets/certbot/linode.ini

dns_linode_key = 0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ64

dns_linode_version = 4

Then, secure it using:

chmod 600 ~/.secrets/certbot/linode.ini

Certbot will display a warning if this file is accessible to other users.

Step 3. Use Certbot with Linode DNS Plugin

• Example 1: Obtain a Certificate for a Single Domain

  
  
  certbot certonly
  
  --dns-linode
  
  --dns-linode-credentials ~/.secrets/certbot/linode.ini
  
  -d example.com
  
  
• Example 2: Obtain a Certificate for Multiple Domains

  
  
  certbot certonly
  
  --dns-linode
  
  --dns-linode-credentials ~/.secrets/certbot/linode.ini
  
  -d example.com
  
  -d www.example.com
  
  
• Example 3: Add DNS Propagation Delay

  DNS changes may take time to propagate. We can adjust the wait time using `–dns-linode-propagation-seconds`:

  
  
  certbot certonly
  
  --dns-linode
  
  --dns-linode-credentials ~/.secrets/certbot/linode.ini
  
  --dns-linode-propagation-seconds 120
  
  -d example.com
  
  

More About the Plugin’s Internals

The `certbot-dns-linode` plugin determines whether to use Linode API v3 or v4 based on the token format or config version. Here’s a glimpse of how it works:

# Determine Linode API version

api_version = self.credentials.conf('version') or 3

regex_v4 = re.compile('^[0-9a-f]{64}$')

if regex_v4.match(api_key):

api_version = 4

Depending on the API version, the plugin chooses the correct Lexicon provider:

if api_version == 4:

self.provider = linode4.Provider(config)

else:

self.provider = linode.Provider(config)

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Conclusion

We can use Certbot with Linode DNS to automate SSL certificate issuance and renewal for our domain. Our site remains protected with no manual renewals required.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to use Certbot with Linode DNS for automated SSL Certificates.