Services Linter Tools Collection
Introduction
In computing, a linter tool checks for common problems and errors in code. The name comes from the original lint tool used to check C code on Unix. Many tools exist now to check your online services. This document lists linter tools that we found useful for services that you would run on-line.
Linters for the Web
- SSL: Qualys SSL Labs: checks your web server's SSL configuration and for known SSL related attacks. It provides a detailed report including a list of which browsers and operating systems can access your site over a secure connection. This is the number one tool for helping you understand your SSL deployment better.
- HTML: W3C Markup Validator: checks your xml/html against specification and reports any problems it can find. Some warnings might seem superficial and harmless, but if a script on a validator can get confused with what you tried to do, then so can a web browser.
- Web Performance: Pingdom Website Speed Test: does an analysis of your website loading time and provides tips on how you can improve performance.
- Malware: Securi Site Check: scans a website for known malware problems. Useful for the typical PHP site that you suspect might have been compromised.
See also:
- Website Obesity: Not a linter, but a great talk on the topic of the website obesity problem.
- MX Toolbox SMTP Diagnostics: checks your mail server for common problems and provides some useful suggestions.
A word of caution
Don't get obsessed with making linter tools all green all the time. Sometimes you have to make compromises. For example, you might have to support an older browser and allow an older encryption technology for a little longer, that "A" rating on SSL Labs is completely fine and you should only make the sacrifices to get that A+ rating if it's a reasonable thing to do within your organisation.
Document Source
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