ndg-httpsclient
Provides enhanced HTTPS support for httplib and urllib2 using PyOpenSSL
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need enhanced HTTPS verification for Python 2.7 or early Python 3 code, or if you require SAN validation that the standard library doesn't provide. No, if you are starting a new project on modern Python 3—use the standard library's ssl module or requests library instead. The package is stable and dependency-light, but its last release was in 2018; verify compatibility with your target Python version before adopting.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires PyOpenSSL and pyasn1 to be installed for full SSL verification; pyasn1 is mandatory for subjectAltNames support.
- Low friction install with no runtime dependencies.
- Package is actively maintained as of 2026-03-24 and marked Production/Stable, though the latest release was in 2018.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — BSD license (permissive) allows use in most projects with minimal restrictions; see the LICENCE file in the package for full details.
last release 2018-07-23 (2944 days) · last repo commit 2026-03-24 · 19 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 6,518,039 downloads/mo, #1,894 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install ndg-httpsclient
import ndg.httpsclient.utils
response = ndg.httpsclient.utils.open_url('https://example.com')- Whether PyOpenSSL and pyasn1 are automatically installed as dependencies or must be installed separately.
- Current compatibility with modern Python versions beyond 3.6 (classifiers stop at 3.6).
- Whether this package is still recommended for new projects or primarily maintained for legacy code.
What it is and what it does
ndg-httpsclient wraps PyOpenSSL to provide enhanced HTTPS support for Python's standard library HTTP clients. It patches httplib/http.client and urllib2/urllib to perform full SSL peer verification, including validation of Subject Alternative Names (SANs) in certificates using pyasn1. This addresses limitations in Python's default SSL implementation by enabling stricter certificate validation.
The package is designed for scenarios where you need reliable HTTPS connections with proper certificate verification—particularly important for scientific computing, system administration, and security-sensitive applications. It includes a command-line utility for fetching HTTPS resources with certificate and key options, and supports both Python 2.7 and Python 3.4+. The package has been in production use since 2012 and remains actively maintained.
Use it for
- Fetch HTTPS resources with full SSL peer verification in legacy Python 2 or early Python 3 codebases.
- Validate certificates with Subject Alternative Names (SANs) when the standard library's SSL support is insufficient.
- Integrate client certificate authentication (mutual TLS) with custom CA certificate directories.
- Command-line HTTPS downloads with certificate and key file options for automated scripts.
- Scientific and research workflows requiring secure HTTPS communication with strict certificate validation.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need enhanced HTTPS verification for Python 2.7 or early Python 3 code, or if you require SAN validation that the standard library doesn't provide.
No, if you are starting a new project on modern Python 3—use the standard library's ssl module or requests library instead. The package is stable and dependency-light, but its last release was in 2018; verify compatibility with your target Python version before adopting.
Install
ndg-httpsclient on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction install with no runtime dependencies. Package is actively maintained as of 2026-03-24 and marked Production/Stable, though the latest release was in 2018.
Requires PyOpenSSL and pyasn1 to be installed for full SSL verification; pyasn1 is mandatory for subjectAltNames support.
License in practice
BSD license (permissive) allows use in most projects with minimal restrictions; see the LICENCE file in the package for full details.
Quickstart
pip install ndg-httpsclient
import ndg.httpsclient.utils
response = ndg.httpsclient.utils.open_url('https://example.com')Verify before relying
- Whether PyOpenSSL and pyasn1 are automatically installed as dependencies or must be installed separately.
- Current compatibility with modern Python versions beyond 3.6 (classifiers stop at 3.6).
- Whether this package is still recommended for new projects or primarily maintained for legacy code.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 2,944 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 6,518,039 / month, #1,894 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: End Users/DesktopIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 2Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Topic :: InternetTopic :: Scientific/EngineeringTopic :: SecurityTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: System :: Distributed ComputingTopic :: System :: Systems Administration :: Authentication/Directory |
Evidence: ndg_httpsclient-0.5.1-py2-none-any.whl; ndg_httpsclient-0.5.1-py3-none-any.whl
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See also service-identity · pyOpenSSL · requests-pkcs12 · backports.ssl · secure-smtplib · python3-dtls · pip-system-certs · hyper-up · urllib3 · dbs3-pycurl