Resolve TODO about `GOLANG_FIPS` and `GOFIPS` environment variables
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- Dominant language
- Go
- Stars
- 431
- Forks
- 44
- Avg merge
- 21h 18m
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 30
Description
The code checks for GOFIPS and then GOLANG_FIPS to see if they specify FIPS mode:
GOLANG_FIPS is used by Red Hat: https://developers.redhat.com/blog/2019/06/24/go-and-fips-140-2-on-red-hat-enterprise-linux#fips_140_2_validated_cryptography
But GOFIPS is more similar to the existing GO* variables like GOROOT, GOFLAGS, etc: https://github.com/microsoft/go/pull/382. No built-in env vars have GOLANG in the name.
Which of these variables should we keep? Or both?
Contributor guide
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First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with the environment-variable check in patches/0003-Integrate-OpenSSL-crypto-module.patch at lines 374-381, then read the linked Red Hat guidance and the referenced pull request. Compare the naming conventions and existing usage of GOFIPS and GOLANG_FIPS; done means reaching and documenting a decision about whether to keep one or both.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- go
- Domain
- cryptography, security
- Issue type
- Refactor
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100