acme.js

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Lightweight library for getting Free SSL certifications through Let's Encrypt v2, using ACME (RFC 8555)

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# Let's Encrypt&trade; + JavaScript = [ACME.js](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme.js)

| Built by [Root](https://therootcompany.com) for [Hub](https://rootprojects.org/hub)

## Automated Certificate Management Environment

ACME ([RFC 8555](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8555)) is the protocol that powers **Let's Encrypt**.

ACME.js is a _low-level_ client that speaks RFC 8555 to get Free SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt.

Looking for an **easy**, _high-level_ client? Check out [Greenlock.js](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/greenlock.js).

# Quick Start

```js
var acme = ACME.create({ maintainerEmail, packageAgent, notify });
await acme.init(directoryUrl);

// Create Let's Encrypt Account
var accountOptions = { subscriberEmail, agreeToTerms, accountKey };
var account = await acme.accounts.create(accountOptions);

// Validate Domains
var certificateOptions = { account, accountKey, csr, domains, challenges };
var pems = await acme.certificates.create(certificateOptions);

// Get SSL Certificate
var fullchain = pems.cert + '\n' + pems.chain + '\n';
await fs.promises.writeFile('fullchain.pem', fullchain, 'ascii');
```

# Online Demo

See https://greenlock.domains

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# Features

| 15k gzipped | 55k minified | 88k (2,500 loc) source with comments |

Supports the latest (Nov 2019) release of Let's Encrypt in a small, lightweight, Vanilla JS package.

-   [x] Let's Encrypt v2
    -   [x] ACME RFC 8555
    -   [x] November 2019
    -   [x] POST-as-GET
    -   [ ] StartTLS Everywhere&trade; (in-progress)
-   [x] IDN (i.e. `.中国`)
-   [x] ECDSA and RSA keypairs
    -   [x] JWK
    -   [x] PEM
    -   [x] DER
    -   [x] Native Crypto in Node.js
    -   [x] WebCrypto in Browsers
-   [x] Domain Validation Plugins
    -   [x] tls-alpn-01
    -   [x] http-01
    -   [x] dns-01
        -   [x] **Wildcards**
        -   [x] **Localhost**
        -   [x] Private Networks
    -   [x] [Create your own](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-challenge-test.js)
-   [x] Vanilla JS\*
    -   [x] No Transpiling Necessary!
    -   [x] Node.js
    -   [x] Browsers
    -   [x] WebPack
    -   [x] Zero External Dependencies
-   [x] Commercial Support
    -   [x] Safe, Efficient, Maintained

\* Although we use `async/await` in the examples,
the codebase is written entirely in Common JS.

# Use Cases

-   Home Servers
-   IoT
-   Enterprise On-Prem
-   Web Hosting
-   Cloud Services
-   Localhost Development

# API

The public API encapsulates the three high-level steps of the ACME protocol:

1. API Discovery
2. Account Creation
    - Subscriber Agreement
3. Certificate Issuance
    - Certificate Request
    - Authorization Challenges
    - Challenge Presentation
    - Certificate Redemption

## API Overview

The core API can be show in just four functions:

```js
ACME.create({ maintainerEmail, packageAgent, notify });
acme.init(directoryUrl);
acme.accounts.create({ subscriberEmail, agreeToTerms, accountKey });
acme.certificates.create({
	customerEmail, // do not use
	account,
	accountKey,
	csr,
	domains,
	challenges
});
```

Helper Functions

```js
ACME.computeChallenge({
	accountKey,
	hostname: 'example.com',
	challenge: { type: 'dns-01', token: 'xxxx' }
});
```

| Parameter          | Description                                                                                                 |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| account            | an object containing the Let's Encrypt Account ID as "kid" (misnomer, not actually a key id/thumbprint)     |
| accountKey         | an RSA or EC public/private keypair in JWK format                                                           |
| agreeToTerms       | set to `true` to agree to the Let's Encrypt Subscriber Agreement                                            |
| challenges         | the 'http-01', 'alpn-01', and/or 'dns-01' challenge plugins (`get`, `set`, and `remove` callbacks) to use   |
| csr                | a Certificate Signing Request (CSR), which may be generated with `@root/csr`, openssl, or another           |
| customerEmail      | Don't use this. Given as an example to differentiate between Maintainer, Subscriber, and End-User           |
| directoryUrl       | should be the Let's Encrypt Directory URL<br>`https://acme-staging-v02.api.letsencrypt.org/directory`       |
| domains            | the list of altnames (subject first) that are listed in the CSR and will be listed on the certificate       |
| maintainerEmail    | should be a contact for the author of the code to receive critical bug and security notices                 |
| notify             | all callback for logging events and errors in the form `function (ev, args) { ... }`                        |
| packageAgent       | should be an RFC72321-style user-agent string to append to the ACME client (ex: mypackage/v1.1.1)           |
| skipChallengeTests | do not do a self-check that the ACME-issued challenges will pass (not recommended)                          |
| skipDryRun: false  | do not do a self-check with self-issued challenges (not recommended)                                        |
| subscriberEmail    | should be a contact for the service provider to receive renewal failure notices and manage the ACME account |

**Maintainer vs Subscriber vs Customer**

-   `maintainerEmail` should be the email address of the **author of the code**.
    This person will receive critical security and API change notifications.
-   `subscriberEmail` should be the email of the **admin of the hosting service**.
    This person agrees to the Let's Encrypt Terms of Service and will be notified
    when a certificate fails to renew.
-   `customerEmail` should be the email of individual who owns the domain.
    This is optional (not currently implemented).

Generally speaking **YOU** are the _maintainer_ and you **or your employer** is the _subscriber_.

If you (or your employer) is running any type of service
you **SHOULD NOT** pass the _customer_ email as the subscriber email.

If you are not running a service (you may be building a CLI, for example),
then you should prompt the user for their email address, and they are the subscriber.

## Events

These `notify` events are intended for _logging_ and debugging, NOT as a data API.

| Event Name           | Example Message                                                                   |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `certificate_order`  | `{ subject: 'example.com', altnames: ['...'], account: { key: { kid: '...' } } }` |
| `challenge_select`   | `{ altname: '*.example.com', type: 'dns-01' }`                                    |
| `challenge_status`   | `{ altname: '*.example.com', type: 'dns-01', status: 'pending' }`                 |
| `challenge_remove`   | `{ altname: '*.example.com', type: 'dns-01' }`                                    |
| `certificate_status` | `{ subject: 'example.com', status: 'valid' }`                                     |
| `warning`            | `{ message: 'what went wrong', description: 'what action to take about it' }`     |
| `error`              | `{ message: 'a background process failed, and it may have side-effects' }`        |

Note: DO NOT rely on **undocumented properties**. They are experimental and **will break**.
If you have a use case for a particular property **open an issue** - we can lock it down and document it.

# Example (Full Walkthrough)

### See [examples/README.md](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme.js/src/branch/master/examples/README.md)

A basic example includes the following:

1. Initialization
    - maintainer contact
    - package user-agent
    - log events
2. Discover API
    - retrieves Terms of Service and API endpoints
3. Get Subscriber Account
    - create an ECDSA (or RSA) Account key in JWK format
    - agree to terms
    - register account by the key
4. Prepare a Certificate Signing Request
    - create a RSA (or ECDSA) Server key in PEM format
    - select domains
    - choose challenges
    - sign CSR
    - order certificate

[examples/README.md](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme.js/src/branch/master/examples/README.md)
covers all of these steps, with comments.

# Install

To make it easy to generate, encode, and decode keys and certificates,
ACME.js uses [Keypairs.js](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/keypairs.js)
and [CSR.js](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/csr.js)

```js
npm install --save @root/acme
```

```js
var ACME = require('@root/acme');
```

</details>

<details>
<summary>WebPack</summary>

```html
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
```

(necessary in case the webserver headers don't specify `plain/text; charset="UTF-8"`)

```js
var ACME = require('@root/acme');
```

</details>

<details>
<summary>Vanilla JS</summary>

```html
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
```

(necessary in case the webserver headers don't specify `plain/text; charset="UTF-8"`)

```html
<script src="https://unpkg.com/@root/acme@3.0.0/dist/acme.all.js"></script>
```

`acme.min.js`

```html
<script src="https://unpkg.com/@root/acme@3.0.0/dist/acme.all.min.js"></script>
```

Use

```js
var ACME = window['@root/acme'];
```

</details>

# Challenge Callbacks

The challenge callbacks are documented in the [test suite](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-test.js),
essentially:

```js
function create(options) {
	var plugin = {
		init: async function(deps) {
			// for http requests
			plugin.request = deps.request;
		},
		zones: async function(args) {
			// list zones relevant to the altnames
		},
		set: async function(args) {
			// set TXT record
		},
		get: async function(args) {
			// get TXT records
		},
		remove: async function(args) {
			// remove TXT record
		},
		// how long to wait after *all* TXT records are set
		// before presenting them for validation
		propagationDelay: 5000
	};
	return plugin;
}
```

The `http-01` plugin is similar, but without `zones` or `propagationDelay`.

Many challenge plugins are already available for popular platforms.

Search `acme-http-01-` or `acme-dns-01-` on npm to find more.

| Type        | Service                                                                             | Plugin                   |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| dns-01      | CloudFlare                                                                          | acme-dns-01-cloudflare   |
| dns-01      | [Digital Ocean](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-digitalocean.js)      | acme-dns-01-digitalocean |
| dns-01      | [DNSimple](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-dnsimple.js)               | acme-dns-01-dnsimple     |
| dns-01      | [DuckDNS](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-duckdns.js)                 | acme-dns-01-duckdns      |
| http-01     | File System / [Web Root](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-http-01-webroot.js) | acme-http-01-webroot     |
| dns-01      | [GoDaddy](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-godaddy.js)                 | acme-dns-01-godaddy      |
| dns-01      | [Gandi](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-gandi.js)                     | acme-dns-01-gandi        |
| dns-01      | [NameCheap](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-namecheap.js)             | acme-dns-01-namecheap    |
| dns-01      | [Name&#46;com](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-namedotcom.js)         | acme-dns-01-namedotcom   |
| dns-01      | Route53 (AWS)                                                                       | acme-dns-01-route53      |
| http-01     | S3 (AWS, Digital Ocean, Scaleway)                                                   | acme-http-01-s3          |
| dns-01      | [Vultr](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-vultr.js)                     | acme-dns-01-vultr        |
| dns-01      | [Build your own](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-dns-01-test.js)             | acme-dns-01-test         |
| http-01     | [Build your own](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme-http-01-test.js)            | acme-http-01-test        |
| tls-alpn-01 | [Contact us](mailto:support@therootcompany.com)                                     | -                        |

# Running the Tests

```bash
npm test
```

## Usa a dns-01 challenge

Although you can run the tests from a public facing server, its easiest to do so using a dns-01 challenge.

You will need to use one of the [`acme-dns-01-*` plugins](https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=acme-dns-01-)
to run the test locally.

```bash
ENV=DEV
MAINTAINER_EMAIL=letsencrypt+staging@example.com
SUBSCRIBER_EMAIL=letsencrypt+staging@example.com
BASE_DOMAIN=test.example.com
CHALLENGE_TYPE=dns-01
CHALLENGE_PLUGIN=acme-dns-01-digitalocean
CHALLENGE_OPTIONS='{"token":"xxxxxxxxxxxx"}'
```

### For Example

```bash
# Get the repo and change directories into it
git clone https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme.js
pushd acme.js/

# Install the challenge plugin you'll use for the tests
npm install --save-dev acme-dns-01-digitalocean
```

## Create a `.env` config

You'll need a `.env` in the project root that looks something like the one in `examples/example.env`:

```bash
# Copy the sample .env file
rsync -av examples/example.env .env

# Edit the config file to use a domain in your account, and your API token
#vim .env
code .env

# Run the tests
node tests/index.js
```

# Developing

Join `@rootprojects` `#general` on [Keybase](https://keybase.io) if you'd like to chat with us.

# Contributions

Did this project save you some time? Maybe make your day? Even save the day?

Please say "thanks" via Paypal or Patreon:

-   Paypal: [\$5](https://paypal.me/rootprojects/5) | [\$10](https://paypal.me/rootprojects/10) | Any amount: <paypal@therootcompany.com>
-   Patreon: <https://patreon.com/rootprojects>

Where does your contribution go?

[Root](https://therootcompany.com) is a collection of experts
who trust each other and enjoy working together on deep-tech,
Indie Web projects.

Our goal is to operate as a sustainable community.

Your contributions - both in code and _especially_ financially -
help to not just this project, but also our broader work
of [projects](https://rootprojects.org) that fuel the **Indie Web**.

Also, we chat on [Keybase](https://keybase.io)
in [#rootprojects](https://keybase.io/team/rootprojects)

# Commercial Support

Do you need...

-   more features?
-   bugfixes, on _your_ timeline?
-   custom code, built by experts?
-   commercial support and licensing?

You're welcome to [contact us](mailto:aj@therootcompany.com) in regards to IoT, On-Prem,
Enterprise, and Internal installations, integrations, and deployments.

We have both commercial support and commercial licensing available.

We also offer consulting for all-things-ACME and Let's Encrypt.

# Legal &amp; Rules of the Road

ACME.js&trade; is a [trademark](https://rootprojects.org/legal/#trademark) of AJ ONeal

The rule of thumb is "attribute, but don't confuse". For example:

> Built with [ACME.js](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme.js) (a [Root](https://rootprojects.org) project).

Please [contact us](mailto:aj@therootcompany.com) if have any questions in regards to our trademark,
attribution, and/or visible source policies. We want to build great software and a great community.

[ACME.js](https://git.rootprojects.org/root/acme.js) |
MPL-2.0 |
[Terms of Use](https://therootcompany.com/legal/#terms) |
[Privacy Policy](https://therootcompany.com/legal/#privacy)

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