- Generate a Private Key and a CSR. This is the simplest and most common requirement. You first need to generate a public private key pair and also a CSR. The CSR thus generated can be used by Certificate Authority (CA) to produce a SSL certificate. This SSL certificate can then be used to secure the traffic incoming and outgoing from your server.
- Generate a Certificate Signing Request. Complete this form to generate a new CSR and private key.
- Enter CSR and Private Key command. Generate a private key and CSR by running the following command: Here is the plain text version to copy and paste into your terminal: openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout server.key -out server.csr. Note: Replace “server ” with the domain name you intend to secure. Enter your CSR details.
If you want to convert your website from HTTP to HTTPS, you need to get a SSL certificate from a valid organization like Verisign or Thawte. You can also generate self signed SSL certificate for testing purpose.
In this article, let us review how to generate private key file (server.key), certificate signing request file (server.csr) and webserver certificate file (server.crt) that can be used on Apache server with mod_ssl.
Jul 09, 2019 Can I generate a new Private Key for my Certificate if I lose the old one? You can generate a new private key and CSR, or use the automatic CSR and key generation during Certificate reissue (this option is available for all Certificates except for the Multi-Domains). What does the Private Key look like? The CSR is to be sent to the certificate authority for validation and signing immediately after the certificate activation in the Namecheap user account panel. The private key must be kept secret, ideally on the same server the certificate will be installed on. Can I generate a new private key for my SSL certificate?
Key, CSR and CRT File Naming Convention
I typically like to name the files with the domain name of the HTTPS URL that will be using this certificate. This makes it easier to identify and maintain.
- Instead of server.key, I use www.thegeekstuff.com.key
- Instead of server.csr, I use www.thegeekstuff.com.csr
- Instead of server.crt, I use www.thegeekstuff.com.crt
1. Generate Private Key on the Server Running Apache + mod_ssl
First, generate a private key on the Linux server that runs Apache webserver using openssl command as shown below.
The generated private key looks like the following.
2. Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
Using the key generate above, you should generate a certificate request file (csr) using openssl as shown below.
3. Generate a Self-Signed SSL Certificate
For testing purpose, you can generate a self-signed SSL certificate that is valid for 1 year using openssl command as shown below.
You can use this method to generate Apache SSL Key, CSR and CRT file in most of the Linux, Unix systems including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Fedora and Red Hat.
4. Get a Valid Trial SSL Certificate (Optional)
Instead of signing it youself, you can also generate a valid trial SSL certificate from thawte. i.e Before spending the money on purchasing a certificate, you can also get a valid fully functional 21 day trial SSL certificates from Thawte. Once this valid certificate works, you can either decide to purchase it from Thawte or any other SSL signing organization.
This step is optional and not really required. For testing purpose, you can always use the self-signed certificate that was generated from the above step.
Go to Thwate trial certificate request page and do the following:
- Select “SSL Web Server Certificate (All servers)” under the “select your trial certificate”.
- Do not check the PKCS #7 check-box under the “configure certificate”
- Copy/Paste the *.csr file that you generate above in the textbox under “certificate signing request (CSR)”
- Click on next at the bottom, which will give you a 21-day free trial certificate.
Copy/Paste the trial certificate to the www.thegeekstuff.com.crt file as shown below.
> Add your comment
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like.
Next post: Google Chrome OS – Beginning of End of Microsoft?
Previous post: Blog Makeover: New Thesis Theme In Action
Common OpenSSL Commands with Keys and Certificates
Generate RSA private key with certificate in a single command
Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from private key with passphrase
Generate RSA private key (2048 bit)
Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
Generate RSA private key (2048 bit) and a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) with a single command
Convert private key to PEM format
Generate Crt Key
Generate a self-signed certificate that is valid for a year with sha256 hash
