Install a certificate for Apache release 2 OVH (base gentoo)

You received your certificate by email with one or several intermediary certificates and a root certificate. Keep this email within reach.

1- Retrieve your certificate(s) on your server

Go back where the private key has been generated, for example:

cd /etc/httpd/ssl.crt

In the delivery email you'll find several links. Click on them and download the associated files:

• A: your server certificate
• B: certification chain (may not be useful for some products)

2- Set up Apache

Edit your Apache 2 configuration file:

/etc/httpd/ssl.conf

If there is just one certificate on this machine, spot the section beginning with:

<VirtualHost _default_:443>

In order to serve your content, edit the line as you wish: DocumentRoot and ServerName

and edit the following instructions to mahke them point to your files:

# SSL configutation
# 40-bit at least
#SSLCipherSuite HIGH:MEDIUM:LOW:EXPORT:!ADH:!DSS:!SSLv2:!EXPORT56:@STRENGTH:+3DES:+DES
# 128-bit at least
SSLCipherSuite HIGH:MEDIUM:!ADH:!DSS:!SSLv2:@STRENGTH:+3DES
SSLProtocol all -SSLv2
# your server certificate (A)
SSLCertificateFile    /etc/httpd/ssl.crt/cert-0000000000-1234.cer
# your private key (générée initialement)
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/httpd/ssl.key/www.xxx.com.key

If you have a certification chain file (B), add:

SSLCertificateChainFile /etc/httpd/ssl.crt/chain-0000000000-1234.txt 

See SSLCertificateChainFile

3- Restart Apache and run a test

Once setted up, restart the Apache server.

/etc/init.d/apache restart

If it does not restart verify the SSL log (for any syntax error): /var/log/httpd/.

Check the access of your website's secured pages with IE 6 and Firefox.

External links

• OVH guide: http://guides.ovh.com/InstallsiteSSL/contenu.html

Recap example

<VirtualHost 192.2.0.20:443>
DocumentRoot "/home/virtual/www"
ServerName www.virtualhost.com
SSLEngine on
SSLCipherSuite HIGH:MEDIUM:!ADH:!DSS:!SSLv2:@STRENGTH:+3DES
SSLProtocol ALL -SSLv2
SSLCertificateFile "/usr/local/apache/conf/ssl.crt/www.virtualhost.com.crt"
SSLCertificateKeyFile "/usr/local/apache/conf/ssl.key/www.virtualhost.com.key"
SSLCACertificateFile "/usr/local/apache/conf/ssl.crt/thawteintermediate.crt"
</VirtualHost>