We work tirelessly to keep our VoipNow users happy. To that end, one of the things we don’t do is to dump maintenance burdens on them. However, every now and then, VoipNow users are required to perform some actions on their end, such as swapping an old SSL certificate for a newer one.

For those who just landed here by accident, let me make your visit to our blog worthwhile. In plain English, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security thing that basically encrypts the link between a server and your computer. It makes it hard for a hacker to eavesdrop on that connection (whatever the reason may be). All of the internet depends on this standard, so it’s not something typical to any software product or service. It’s a fact of life. Now, back to our VoipNow customers.

Changing the SSL certificate in VoipNow is a walk in the park most of the time, but it’s not unheard of to get stuck in the process either. And it’s important to get it done. This KB article explains the process in detail, but if you think you can manage with fewer instructions, just use the commands below. To paraphrase The Martian, you’ll need to SSH the s*** out of this:

[root@server ~]# openssl req -nodes -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout /root/new.key -out /root/certrequest.csr

Counter-intuitively, you should NOT issue a password when the dialogue says:

“Please enter the following ‘extra’ attributes to be sent with your certificate request

A challenge password []:”

Save key to a location you can access later and make a backup copy:

[root@server ~]# cp /etc/voipnow/certs/http.pem /etc/voipnow/certs/http.pem.backup

To install:

[root@server ~]# cat /root/new.key /root/newcert.crt > /etc/voipnow/certs/http.pem

(For intermediate certificate, use: [root@server ~]# cat /root/new.key /root/newcert.crt /root/intermediate_cert.crt > /etc/voipnow/certs/http.pem)

[root@server ~]# chmod 400 /etc/voipnow/certs/http.pem

[root@server ~]# chown httpsa:httpsa /etc/voipnow/certs/http.pem

[root@server ~]# /etc/init.d/voipnow restart

There are exceptions for users of VoipNow 3.0.7, all described in the KB document above. Changing an SSL certificate isn’t rocket science, but it’s always advisable to consult our Wiki for any changes you’re about to make to your VoipNow 3 HTTP server. Have a great day!