7 ms·

Show HN: Lego – A Let's Encrypt Library and CLI in Go

93 points by xenolf 11y ago

mholt 11y ago
No dependencies, runs everywhere, and easy to use. Great job! Some of those PRs are looking pretty tasty too. Here's a link to the current release with cross-platform binaries: https://github.com/xenolf/lego/releases/tag/v0.1.0 https://github.com/xenolf/lego/releases/tag/v0.1.0
- TheDong 11y ago
  I see multiple dependencies. No runtime dependencies, but the code is still difficult to audit due to depending on external libraries at some unknown versions.
  - XorNot 11y ago
    Vendoring the libs solves that problem.
jfolkins 11y ago
Thanks for this!
zkirill 11y ago
This is super useful. Thank you kindly!
DrJokepu 11y ago
Are you really, really sure that this is not a trademark violation? Do you like receiving cease & desist letters, or your projects getting DMCA'd? Are you prepared to defend your views in court? If not, I would change the name.
- Bahamut 11y ago
  Given Lego's history of vigorously defending its trademark, this is on point - it would save a lot of pain switching asap.
- reitanqild 11y ago
  Someone who knows more than me might be able to confirm or explain why not, but: Isn't there something in the copyright rules about "can be mistaken" where two companies might have similar names / product names as long as there is no risk of mistaking one for the other? Edit: that said I guess one can avoid a lot of hassle by changing anyway.
  - pmorici 11y ago
    Typically that defense only holds water when two entities are in totally separate domains and even then you would probably still have to go to court to defend yourself. (Apple Corps v. Apple Computer is a notable example) In this specific case I doubt you could make the argument that the two things are in separate domains and unlikely to be confused. Lego has sold programmable Lego sets since 1987 and even had their own programming language "Lego TC Logo". Present day they still sell programmable Lego sets under the Lego Mindstorms NXT brand.
  - DrJokepu 11y ago
    In addition to what others have said, trademarks are not copyright. They're related as they're both types of intellectual property, but they differ in many important details.
- scrollaway 11y ago
  IANAL. The author of this library is not trademarking the name Lego and the library has nothing to do with children's toys or any kind of creative/building work. Given that it's possible to trademark two identical names in different industries (s: http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-trademark-a-similar-name-in-a-different-indu-69533.html http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-trademark-a-similar-...), I'd say author is in the clear.
  - DrJokepu 11y ago
    But of course children's toys are not the only category of products and services that The Lego Group has trademarked as "Lego". It's a fairly long list[0]. I have no idea whether the author is "clear" or not but I know that I wouldn't want to waste my time and money arguing about this in court. I would just change the name. (Not that this would ever reach that stage. GitHub will receive a DMCA notice, they will take the project down and that will be the end of the story.) [0] http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4803%3A6v1u8x.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=live&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=Lego&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4803%3A6...
    - scrollaway 11y ago
      DMCA notices cannot be used to enforce your trademark. Github would have to side with you in a counterclaim, if they even accept the original claim. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=13f9814f-b56e-4314-8e1b-95215ce60a6d http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=13f9814f-b56e-... Edit: I just went through all of the lego trademarks you linked (good call) and none of them are even close to matching a description/category for this library.
    - cdcarter 11y ago
      In the trademark search database: "Please logout when you are done to release system resources allocated for you."
  - scrollaway 11y ago
- sordina 11y ago
  Googling this isn't going to be fun either.
  - x0 11y ago
    I'd have thought so as well, but the github repo was the first result for "lego encrypt", and this thread the second. Not so bad.
- macns 11y ago
  As others have said, better change name early, how about LetsGo ? :-)
  - krsf 11y ago
    Not sure how early it is tho. Seems like the first commit was in June this year.
  - yeukhon 11y ago
    How about use the prefix letsencrypt: letsencrypt-go.
chrisfosterelli 11y ago
I like the README on this project -- I've noticed a lot of Go libraries tend to have absolutely no "getting started" code and tend to just push people toward the godocs. One of my favourite things about node is how pretty much every module tells you how to use it immediately right in the README.
- czbond 11y ago
  I've seen the same thing in my experience. After hours of work, many Go repo's simply don't help other people to use their software.
  - username223 11y ago
    That's "OSS". Many people believe that dumping stuff on the internet counts as a "contribution" (e.g. [1]). That's how it works: throw stuff out there if you feel like it, ignore feedback, and "Open." [1] http://blogs.perl.org/users/sawyer_x/2010/09/please-provide-a-change-log.html#comment-4471 http://blogs.perl.org/users/sawyer_x/2010/09/please-provide-...
- meowface 11y ago
  I've found the same with many Java and some Scala projects. It's very weird, having come from Python. The Go community is also a very big offender.
myth_buster 11y ago
Clever naming!
XorNot 11y ago
Do Let's Encrypt issue multiple valid certs for the same domain at the same time? Something I've been thinking of doing (with a library like this) is building the LE client right into the program so you can set a flag and it'll automatically acquire an certificate for the server it's running on.

93 points by xenolf 11y ago

mholt 11y ago

No dependencies, runs everywhere, and easy to use. Great job! Some of those PRs are looking pretty tasty too. Here's a link to the current release with cross-platform binaries: https://github.com/xenolf/lego/releases/tag/v0.1.0 https://github.com/xenolf/lego/releases/tag/v0.1.0

TheDong 11y ago
I see multiple dependencies. No runtime dependencies, but the code is still difficult to audit due to depending on external libraries at some unknown versions.
- XorNot 11y ago
  Vendoring the libs solves that problem.

jfolkins 11y ago

Thanks for this!

zkirill 11y ago

This is super useful. Thank you kindly!

DrJokepu 11y ago

Are you really, really sure that this is not a trademark violation? Do you like receiving cease & desist letters, or your projects getting DMCA'd? Are you prepared to defend your views in court? If not, I would change the name.

Bahamut 11y ago
Given Lego's history of vigorously defending its trademark, this is on point - it would save a lot of pain switching asap.
reitanqild 11y ago
Someone who knows more than me might be able to confirm or explain why not, but: Isn't there something in the copyright rules about "can be mistaken" where two companies might have similar names / product names as long as there is no risk of mistaking one for the other? Edit: that said I guess one can avoid a lot of hassle by changing anyway.
- pmorici 11y ago
  Typically that defense only holds water when two entities are in totally separate domains and even then you would probably still have to go to court to defend yourself. (Apple Corps v. Apple Computer is a notable example) In this specific case I doubt you could make the argument that the two things are in separate domains and unlikely to be confused. Lego has sold programmable Lego sets since 1987 and even had their own programming language "Lego TC Logo". Present day they still sell programmable Lego sets under the Lego Mindstorms NXT brand.
- DrJokepu 11y ago
  In addition to what others have said, trademarks are not copyright. They're related as they're both types of intellectual property, but they differ in many important details.
scrollaway 11y ago
IANAL. The author of this library is not trademarking the name Lego and the library has nothing to do with children's toys or any kind of creative/building work. Given that it's possible to trademark two identical names in different industries (s: http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-trademark-a-similar-name-in-a-different-indu-69533.html http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-trademark-a-similar-...), I'd say author is in the clear.
- DrJokepu 11y ago
  But of course children's toys are not the only category of products and services that The Lego Group has trademarked as "Lego". It's a fairly long list[0]. I have no idea whether the author is "clear" or not but I know that I wouldn't want to waste my time and money arguing about this in court. I would just change the name. (Not that this would ever reach that stage. GitHub will receive a DMCA notice, they will take the project down and that will be the end of the story.) [0] http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4803%3A6v1u8x.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=live&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=Lego&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4803%3A6...
  - scrollaway 11y ago
    DMCA notices cannot be used to enforce your trademark. Github would have to side with you in a counterclaim, if they even accept the original claim. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=13f9814f-b56e-4314-8e1b-95215ce60a6d http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=13f9814f-b56e-... Edit: I just went through all of the lego trademarks you linked (good call) and none of them are even close to matching a description/category for this library.
  - cdcarter 11y ago
    In the trademark search database: "Please logout when you are done to release system resources allocated for you."
- scrollaway 11y ago
sordina 11y ago
Googling this isn't going to be fun either.
- x0 11y ago
  I'd have thought so as well, but the github repo was the first result for "lego encrypt", and this thread the second. Not so bad.
macns 11y ago
As others have said, better change name early, how about LetsGo ? :-)
- krsf 11y ago
  Not sure how early it is tho. Seems like the first commit was in June this year.
- yeukhon 11y ago
  How about use the prefix letsencrypt: letsencrypt-go.

chrisfosterelli 11y ago

I like the README on this project -- I've noticed a lot of Go libraries tend to have absolutely no "getting started" code and tend to just push people toward the godocs. One of my favourite things about node is how pretty much every module tells you how to use it immediately right in the README.

czbond 11y ago
I've seen the same thing in my experience. After hours of work, many Go repo's simply don't help other people to use their software.
- username223 11y ago
  That's "OSS". Many people believe that dumping stuff on the internet counts as a "contribution" (e.g. [1]). That's how it works: throw stuff out there if you feel like it, ignore feedback, and "Open." [1] http://blogs.perl.org/users/sawyer_x/2010/09/please-provide-a-change-log.html#comment-4471 http://blogs.perl.org/users/sawyer_x/2010/09/please-provide-...
meowface 11y ago
I've found the same with many Java and some Scala projects. It's very weird, having come from Python. The Go community is also a very big offender.

myth_buster 11y ago

Clever naming!

XorNot 11y ago

Do Let's Encrypt issue multiple valid certs for the same domain at the same time? Something I've been thinking of doing (with a library like this) is building the LE client right into the program so you can set a flag and it'll automatically acquire an certificate for the server it's running on.