Manually Install SSL Certificates

So - you have a domain ready to go, you have paid verisign for their seal of SSL approval.

How and where do the files go?

First off, you need to generate a certificate request, which should give you a .csr request file and also a private.key file (or the ascii text that goes inthese files). The 2 files go to verisign where they generate an SSL certificate key, which is typically emailed back to you.

You will also need to get the appropriate Verisign 'Intermediate CA Bundle' which is normally flagged up in the email you receive when you purchase the certificate.

Now place the 3 files in to a nice, safe bit of your host, something like:

/home/[MY-DOMAIN\/user/cert/public.crt (the one you get from verisign)
/home/[MY-DOMAIN]/user/cert/private.key (the one you generated at the start of the process)
/home/[MY-DOMAIN]/user/cert/intermediate.key (downloaded from the verisign site)


Now you need to edit the host settings for your host (which are normallyin your vhost.conf file) Somewhere in your block, you need to add/edit:

# Begin SSL Config SSLCertificateFile /home//user/cert/public.crt
SSLCertificateKeyFile /home//user/cert/private.key
SSLCACertificateFile /home//user/cert/intermediate.crt
# End SSL config

Now, save the updated vhost.conf file and restart apache:

> service httpd restart (for Centos and linux users)