Set up apache for https

This article describes how you can secure your webpage running on apache2 with https. You create demo-certificates yourself for this. This is for SUSE Linux, for Fedora, I recommend http://www.linux-sxs.org/internet_serving/apache2.html

This article assumes you know about SSL, https and certificates.

1. set up apache
2. open a console as root
3. set up your Certification authority and create dummy-certificates
/usr/bin/gensslcert
4. get your SSL Configuration from the given template
cd /etc/apache2/vhosts.d cp vhost-ssl.template vhost-ssl.conf
5. change your SSL Configuration
have apache2 start per default with SSL. To do this, edit /etc/sysconfig/apache2: replace APACHE_SERVER_FLAGS="" with APACHE_SERVER_FLAGS="SSL"
6. restart apache2
/etc/init.d/apache2 restart
7. make sure you have content to show
echo "this is a test" >> /srv/www/htdocs/index.html
8. test your configuration
wget --no-check-certificate --no-proxy https://localhost

get a new certificate

To get a new certificate

• backup your old certificate:

cd
cp /etc/apache2/ssl.crt/server.crt .

• create a new certificate, e.g. for newhostname.domain

genssl -n newhostname.domain

• restart apache

/etc/init.d/apache2 restart

See also

• security
• apache