How to Configure SSL Certificate in Apache Web Server on Linux
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates are crucial for ensuring the security of your website and the data transmitted between the server and the users. In this article, we will guide you through the process of configuring an SSL certificate on an Apache web server running on a Linux operating system.
Step 1: Install Apache web server
Before we can configure an SSL certificate, we need to ensure that the Apache web server is installed on your Linux server. If Apache is not already installed, you can do so by running the following command in your terminal:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install apache2
Once Apache is installed, you can start the Apache service by running:
sudo systemctl start apache2
Step 2: Generate a CSR
Next, we need to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) that will be used to request an SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA). To generate a CSR, run the following command:
openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout yourdomain.key -out yourdomain.csr
Make sure to replace “yourdomain” with your actual domain name. Follow the prompts to enter your organization details and create the CSR file.
Step 3: Obtain an SSL certificate
Once you have generated the CSR, you can now proceed to obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted CA. You can purchase an SSL certificate or use a free certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
If you are using Let’s Encrypt, you can install their Certbot tool by running:
sudo apt-get install certbot
Then, request a certificate for your domain by running:
sudo certbot --apache -d yourdomain
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the certificate installation process.
Step 4: Configure Apache to use SSL
After obtaining the SSL certificate, you need to configure Apache to use SSL. Open the Apache SSL configuration file in a text editor:
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/default-ssl.conf
Add the following lines to the configuration file to specify the SSL certificate and key files:
SSLCertificateFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain/fullchain.pem
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain/privkey.pem
Save the file and exit the text editor. Then, enable the SSL module and the SSL site configuration by running:
sudo a2enmod ssl
sudo a2ensite default-ssl
Finally, restart Apache for the changes to take effect:
sudo systemctl restart apache2
Step 5: Test the SSL configuration
To ensure that SSL is properly configured on your Apache web server, open a web browser and navigate to your domain using https://. If you see a padlock icon or a green “Secure” label in the address bar, then your SSL certificate is successfully installed and configured.
Congratulations! You have now successfully configured an SSL certificate on your Apache web server running on Linux.