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CSR Generation for Redhat Secure Web Server

To generate a CSR, you need to create a key pair for your server. These two items comprise a digital certificate key pair and cannot be separated. If you lose your public/private key file or your password and generate a new one, your SSL Certificate will no longer match. You will have to request a new SSL Certificate from your Managed PKI for SSL Administrator.

VeriSign recommends that you contact the Redhat Secure Web Server vendor for additional information. 

Step 1: Generate a Private Key

If you are using Official Red Hat Linux Professional, you can choose whether or not to enable the password feature. This will require you to enter the password every time you start your secure server. VeriSign recommends that you use the password feature to increase the level of security.

With Password Feature

1. Use the cd command to move to the /etc/httpd/conf directory.
2. As root, type the command: ‘make genkey’
3. Your key will be generated and you will be asked to enter and confirm a password. You will need to enter this password every time you start your secure Web server.
4. Your key will be created and saved to a file named server.key. If you are using Official Red Hat Linux Professional, server.key will be located in the /etc/httpd/conf/ssl.key directory.

Without Password Feature

1. Use the cd command to move to the /etc/httpd/conf directory.
2. As root, type the command all on one line:
3. ‘/usr/sbin/sslgenrsa -rand /dev/urandom -out ssl.key/server.key 1024’
4. Set the correct permissions on your key with the command:   
   ‘chmod go-rwx ssl.key/server.key’
5. Your key will be created and saved to a file named server.key. If you are using Official Red Hat Linux Professional, server.key will be located in the /etc/httpd/conf/ssl.key directory.

Step 2: Create the Certificate Signing Request

1. In the /etc/httpd/conf directory, become root and type in one of the following two commands:
• For Official Red Hat Linux Professional, type in the following command:   
  ‘make certreq’
• For Official Red Hat Linux Professional, International Edition, type in the following command (all on one line): 
  ‘/usr/bin/openssl req -new -key /etc/httpd/conf/server.key -out /etc/httpd/conf/server.csr’
2. If you used a password when generating your key, you will be prompted for it.
3. Enter information as prompted. Your inputs will be incorporated into the CSR.
4. A file named server.csr will be created. If you are using Official Red Hat Linux Professional, server.csr will be located in the /etc/httpd/conf/ssl.csr directory.
5. You have just created a key pair and a CSR.
6. The server.csr file contains your certificate request. To copy and paste the information into the enrolment form, open the file in a text editor that does not add extra characters (Notepad or Vi are recommended).
7. Go to your MPKI for SSL enrolment pages. (Your administrator will provide you with this URL.)

Terms Defined

Common Name

The Common Name is the Host + Domain Name. It looks like "www.company.co.uk" or "company.co.uk".

VeriSign certificates can only be used on Web servers using the Common Name specified during enrolment. For example, a certificate for the domain "domain.co.uk" will receive a warning if accessing a site named "www.domain.co.uk" or "secure.domain.co.uk", because "www.domain.co.uk" and "secure.domain.co.uk" are different from "domain.co.uk".

Organisation Information

• If your company or department has an &, @, or any other symbol using the shift key in its name, you must spell out the symbol or omit it to enrol.
• The “Org Unit” field is the name of the department or organisation unit making the request.
• The Locality field is the city or town name, for example: Guildford.
• Do not abbreviate the county name, for example: Surrey.
• Use the two-letter code without punctuation for country, for example: GB.

Contact Information

Your Managed PKI for SSL Administrator will be responsible for issuing the certificate to you after your enrolment has been completed. Please contact them for assistance.