Configuration of ssl with apache (Red hat linux) using openssl

Steps to install and configure the self signed SSL certificate with Apache on Red Hat Linux

Installation of Openssl:  

 

Step 1: Download the openssl software from (http://www.openssl.org/)

Step 2:tar -xzf openssl-1.0.1f.tar.gz

Step 3: cd openssl-1.0.1f

Step 4: ./config --prefix=/usr/openssl -fPIC no-gost no-shared no-zlib

Step 5: make

Step 6: make install

The above steps will install the openssl software in /usr/openssl. You can define the openssl path in the PATH variable.

Apache installation:

 

  ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/apache2/ --enable-mods-shared=all --enable-ssl=shared --enable-proxy=shared --enable-proxy-connect=shared --enable-proxy-ajp=shared --enable-proxy-balancer=shared --enable-proxy-ftp=shared --enable-proxy-http=shared --enable-so --with-ssl=/usr/openssl/ 

Steps to generate key,csr and crt:

/usr/openssl/bin/openssl genrsa -out commonname.key 2048 -- Generate a 2048 bit key

/usr/openssl/bin/openssl req -new -key commonname.key -out commonname.csr -- To generate a CSR

/usr/openssl/bin/openssl x509 -req -days 365 -in commonname.csr -signkey commonname.key -out commonname.crt  - To generate the selfsigned certificate

Add the ssl configuration in apache httpd.conf file:

LoadModule ssl_module modules/mod_ssl.so

<VirtualHost servername:443>
    ServerName hostname
    SSLEngine On
    SSLCertificateFile /usr/commonname.crt
    SSLCertificateKeyFile /usr/commonname.key
    SSLProxyEngine On

</VirtualHost>

Start and stop the server using -DSSL option:

apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL

apache/bin/httpd -k stop -DSSL

                                           

                                                          (: Happy learning :)