Tag archive for: Certbot

Installing Certbot on Raspbian Buster for obtaining Let’s Encrypt’s browser-trusted certificates for your Raspberry Pi server applications

When you build Raspberry Pi server projects with Raspbian Buster, browser-trusted certificates can be needed.

Since the inception of Let’s Encrypt, many webmasters had been able to deploy web applications that encrypt communication channels with browser-trusted certificates.

Most importantly, Let’s Encrypt provide all the magic for free.

Let’s Encrypt certificates are automatically issued by software participating in the ACME protocol. Therefore, we will need to run such a software on a Raspberry Pi web server for serving HTTPS with browser-trusted certificates.

Given that, let’s see how we can install Certbot on Raspbian Buster.

How I use my Raspberry Pis to help me work on with my side projects

Undeniably, Raspberry Pi has revolutionised the way we use computing technology in our lives. In addition to being energy efficient, a Raspberry Pi is a single board computer that does not take up too much space.

Given these points, a Raspberry Pi is an ideal programmer gift and one of the things that you should buy if you are a computer programmer.

On the other hand, pursuing side projects help me explore technologies that I may not be able to explore at work. For example, through Techcoil, I got to know more about:

• web development with the LEMP stack,
• building and deploying solutions based on Raspberry Pi,
• using Python for building things,
• running a blog as a programmer

In case you are wondering how to use Raspberry Pis to help you work on your side projects, read on to find out more.

How to configure Nginx on Raspberry Pi 3 as a reverse proxy server for Synology DiskStation Manager

When you get a Synology NAS like DS218j or DS418, you will also get the Synology DiskStation Manager. Eventually, you may want to access websites other than Synology DiskStation Manager from outside your home. In that case, you may want to use Nginx as a reverse proxy server for your websites.

Without a doubt, Raspberry Pi 3 is one single-board computer that packs enough computing power for many use cases. For example, you can setup a Raspberry Pi 3 reverse proxy server with Nginx, Certbot, Raspbian Stretch Lite. Thereafter, you will be able to host multiple websites from home.

In case you have both a Raspberry Pi 3 and a Synology NAS, read on to see how you can configure Nginx on Raspberry Pi 3 as a reverse proxy for Synology DiskStation Manager.

How to setup Codiad Web IDE on your Raspberry Pi 3 with Raspbian Stretch Lite, Nginx and PHP

A Web IDE server allows you to code wherever you are and whenever you want from any device through a web browser. A Raspberry Pi 3 board is a good gift for programmers and if you happen to receive one or bought one and do not know what to do with it, you may want to setup Codiad Web IDE on it to help you code while you are on the move.

Read on to find out how to setup Codiad Web IDE on your Raspberry Pi 3 with Raspbian Stretch Lite, Nginx and PHP as the LEMP stack.

Building a reverse proxy server with Nginx, Certbot, Raspbian Stretch Lite and Raspberry Pi 3

The Nginx reverse proxy server runs well on Raspberry Pi 3 and you can use it behind a router to route HTTP traffic to upstream web applications.

A Raspberry Pi 3 reverse proxy server is a very useful appliance to help us host multiple websites from home.

Some examples of web applications that you may want to host at home includes:

• WordPress site on Raspberry Pi 3
• Raspberry Pi Zero W CCTV for security surveillance
• Fast Git Server based on Go Git Service and Raspberry Pi Zero W
• Codiad Web IDE on Raspberry Pi 3
• ProjectSend for sharing files with my friends
• Python 3 Flask MVP with Supervisor on Ubuntu Server 16.04
• Jenkins running on Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspbian Stretch Lite

This post discusses how you can build a reverse proxy server with nginx, Certbot, Raspbian Stretch Lite and Raspberry Pi 3 to proxy HTTP traffic directed at applications on your home network.

Installing Certbot on Raspbian Stretch Lite for obtaining Let’s Encrypt’s browser-trusted certificates

By offering free browser-trusted certificates, Let’s Encrypt makes it easy for ordinary folks like you and me to deploy secure web applications that serve HTTPS traffic 24-7.

The issuance of Let’s Encrypt certificates is automated by software participating in the ACME protocol. We will need to run such a software on devices which host web servers serving HTTPS traffic.

The Raspbian Stretch Lite operating system is a way to create performant web-based appliances with Raspberry Pis. If you need to secure your web-based applications on Raspbian Stretch Lite, you may choose to install Certbot on Raspbian Stretch Lite as a first step.

This post extends Certbot’s installation instruction on Debian Stretch to provide the steps for installing Certbot on Raspbian Stretch Lite.

How I setup a Raspberry Pi Zero W CCTV camera with motionEye and Raspbian Stretch Lite

I had previously built a Raspberry Pi Zero W CCTV camera with motionEyeOS which was connected to the Wifi network of my old DLink router.

After I started using Linksys AC1900 Dual Band Wireless Router as my home router, I could no longer connect to that Raspberry Pi Zero W CCTV camera.

After reinstalling motionEyeOS a couple of times on my Raspberry Pi Zero W, I determined that motionEyeOS is not suitable for this new Wifi network.

On the other hand, my setup of WordPress on Raspberry Pi Zero W with Raspbian Stretch Lite, nginx, mariadb and PHP was able to connect to my new Wifi network, even after multiple system reboots.

Hence, I figured that if I wanted to build a Raspberry Pi Zero W CCTV camera that can connect to my new Wifi network, I could use Raspbian Stretch Lite as the base operating system and install motionEye for the web frontend to view the camera footage.

This post documents how I setup a Raspberry Pi Zero W CCTV with motionEye and Raspbian Stretch Lite.

Installing Certbot on Raspbian Jessie Lite for deploying Let’s Encrypt certificates

Let’s Encrypt is an awesome open certificate authority that give digital certificates for free. The introduction of Let’s Encrypt had given ordinary folks like me the ability to host their own website that browsers will mark as secured – without paying hefty fees. Matching Let’s Encrypt with Raspberry Pi, we can easily deploy secure applications at home to serve clients anytime, anywhere.

The issuance of digital certificates is automated by software using the ACME protocol. We will need to run such a software on the devices which are going to serve as web hosts which speak HTTPS. Let’s Encrypt recommends that people with shell access use the Certbot ACME client to request for Let’s Encrypt certificates.

Since I had recently setup a reverse proxy server with nginx, Raspbian Jessie Lite and Raspberry Pi 3 with the shell terminal, I continue on to install Certbot on the Raspbian Jessie Lite operating system for deploying Let’s Encrypt certificates for my reverse proxy server to serve HTTPS traffic on behalf of future upstream servers.

How to host your Python 3 Flask MVP with Supervisor on Ubuntu Server 16.04

Due to its minimalistic design, the Python Flask framework is ideal for building the web server layer of minimal viable products (MVP) to validate customers’ needs. However, development work is just one part of the user validation efforts. To ensure that our customer can access our Flask MVP and provide feedback as and when they are available, we will need to get it running with as a server daemon.

Supervisor is a convenient tool for running applications as a server daemon.

This post documents the steps that I took to host a Python 3 Flask MVP with Supervisor on an Ubuntu Server 16.04 instance.