When the secure server is installed by the Red Hat Linux installation program, a
random key and a generic certificate are installed, for testing
purposes. You can connect to your secure server using this certificate.
For any purposes other than testing, however, you need to get a
certificate from a CA or generate a self-signed certificate. See the section called Types of Certificates if you need more information on the
different types of certificates available.
If you've followed the instructions provided in this guide to either
purchase a certificate from a CA or generate a self-signed certificate,
you should have a file named
/etc/httpd/conf/ssl.key/server.key, containing your
key, and a file named
/etc/httpd/conf/ssl.crt/server.crt, containing your
test certificate. If your key and certificate are somewhere else, move
them to these directories. If you changed any of the default locations
or filenames for the Red Hat Linux Secure Web Server in your Apache configuration files, you
should put these two files in the appropriate directory, based on your
modifications.
Now stop and start your server as described in the section called Starting and Stopping Apache. If your key file is encrypted, you
will be asked for the password. Type in your password and your server
should start.
Point your Web browser to your server's home page. The URL to access
your Red Hat Linux Secure Web Server will look like this:
 | Please Note |
|---|
| | Note the "s" after "http." The https: prefix
is used for secure HTTP transactions. If the connection is made, you
should see a dialog box indicating that your browser must be
configured to accept the test certificate.
|
If you're using a CA-signed certificate from a well-known CA, your
browser will probably automatically accept the certificate (without
prompting you) and create the secure connection. Your browser will not
automatically recognize a test or a self-signed certificate, because the
certificate is not signed by a CA. If you're not using a certificate
from a CA, follow the instructions provided by your browser to accept
the certificate. You can just accept the defaults by clicking
Next until the dialogs are finished.
Once your browser accepts the certificate, your Red Hat Linux Secure Web Server will show you a
default home page as shown in Figure 11-6.
Download
