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Dev releases free open-source TLD registry platform

Kevin Murphy, January 11, 2024, 16:16:14 (UTC), Domain Tech

A Ukrainian developer has released a free, open-source domain registry management platform that he says is compliant with ICANN standards and should be suitable for organizations that want to self-host ccTLDs or new gTLDs they apply for in the next round.

Named Namingo, lead dev Taras Kondratyuk says the software incorporates EPP, Whois and RDAP and can interface with the popular DNS servers and database management systems.

The software has been released under a standard MIT open-source license, which basically means you can do whatever you want with it with very few limitations. Kondratyuk describes the current release as a beta but said he hopes a stable version will emerge before the end of the month.

“So far, no registry or registrar has used Namingo. However, there’s interest from one ccTLD and two regional second-level domains, which plan to conduct tests soon,” he said in an email interview.

“ccTLDs can currently run Namingo without any issue, with all components being complete,” he said. “We’re just ironing out a few details for the first stable release, like making parts of panel more ‘beautiful’ or easier to work with.”

It sounds like a labor of love. Kondratyuk said he has no background in the domain industry, no plans to commercialize the software or offer paid support services. The software was scratch-built in PHP with the help of ChatGPT.

“Having worked with small hosting providers, I noticed a gap in free and open tools for managing registries or ICANN accredited registrars,” he said. “Existing solutions were either complex, infrastructure-specific, not fully supportive of gTLDs, or not genuinely free. Namingo aims to address these gaps.”

“It was developed as a community contribution,” he said. “If a company wishes to adopt it for registry services, they’re welcome to, thanks to the permissive MIT license. My role is more in line with offering guidance rather than fully engaging in a commercial venture.”

“While I’m open to providing installation support, my capacity for hosting or round-the-clock support is limited. I just hope that a company might show interest in the future and offer this service,” he said.

After the registry platform is finished, Namingo will finish off its platform for ICANN-accredited registrars too, he said.

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Comments (6)

  1. Hugo Olsen says:
    January 12, 2024 at 9:56 pm

    – “So far, no registry or registrar has used Namingo.”
    – “The software was scratch-built in PHP with the help of ChatGPT”

    Hmm, what could go wrong? 5 minutes at https://github.com/getnamingo/registry/tree/main/epp/src and I was able to identify several security flaws (a big one regarding object locking during transfer, a hijackers paradise). Also noted several gaps in the “ICANN compliant” fantasy (GDPR one example). Many practical features for a real registry are missing (such as invoicing and billing and other management tools)

    Cool academic exercise but if you’re seriously considering this route why not https://fred.nic.cz/en/

    /hugo

    Reply
    • Taras (Namingo team) says:
      January 13, 2024 at 1:15 pm

      Thanks for checking out our software and for your comments. I want to address a few points you’ve raised.

      Firstly, on the security front: we’re aware of the importance of robust security measures and are constantly working on it. If you’ve spotted specific issues, I’d genuinely appreciate direct feedback to help@namingo.org, so we can look into them.

      Regarding the features, our software does include invoicing, billing, and the necessary management tools. It’s possible some aspects weren’t evident in your review.

      We keep up with compliance, including GDPR, and are continually updating our system to stay aligned with industry standards.

      I know about fred.nic.cz. It’s a good platform, but we’re confident in the unique value our software offers.

      Feel free to reach out if you have more insights or need clarification on anything. I remain open to any constructive conversations.

      Reply
  2. Rubens Kuhl says:
    January 13, 2024 at 9:07 pm

    Fred is mostly used in ccTLDs, and I don’t think they target ICANN gTLDs usage.

    Before Namingo, there was already an open-source registry for gTLDs: is Google/ID Nomulus (https://github.com/google/nomulus). While Nomulus is open-source, it is written with GCP (Google Cloud) primitives so it’s unfeasible to run it on premises or at a different cloud provider.

    But while I see space for another open-source codebase, be it Namingo or not, there are some aspects of it that really require running code with real ICANN systems. For instance, Trademark Database integration, data escrow, Registry Reporting Interface. So a code that has never run with at least OT&E (test environment) connection for those services likely lacks maturity to run a production registry.

    Reply
  3. Matthias Pfeifer says:
    January 22, 2024 at 5:10 pm

    I was wondering why you guys use PHP for a fresh development in the year 202*?

    From a operating point this stack is one of the worst imaginable picks for a registry core.

    Reply

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