CapRover SSL Configuration and Installation Guide

CapRover, established by a team of developers in 2017, has rapidly become a go-to solution for containerized application deployment and management. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, CapRover simplifies tasks such as Docker container deployment, SSL certificate provisioning, and automated scaling. With a growing user base exceeding 20,000 developers globally, CapRover empowers users to effortlessly manage their cloud infrastructure, focusing more on their applications and less on administrative overhead.

Step 1. Generating a CSR and Private Key

CapRover SSL Configuration Video

CSR: A Key Component for SSL Certificate Issuance
A CSR (Certificate Signing Request) is a pivotal element in obtaining SSL certificates, containing
crucial data such as the server's public key and domain information. When a client seeks to secure their website with SSL, they generate a CSR, which is then submitted to a Certificate Authority (CA) for validation. Effective CSR utilization is paramount for SEO, as it facilitates the issuance of trusted SSL certificates, enhancing website security and search engine rankings through encrypted connections and improved user trust.

Navigate to SSLTrust's CSR Generator and generate your CSR and Private Key.

Note:- Save the generated Private Key and CSR on your device. This might come in handy if you want to re-do the configuration.

Step 2. Order and Configure the SSL Certificate

The following step in the installation process is to order and configure SSL Certificate. We recommend SSLTrust because of our exceptional Customer Service, Money Back guarantee and SSL Installation Service.

Cheap SSL Certificates

View our low cost SSL Certificates with domain validation.

Starting at $ per year

Wildcard SSL

View our Wildcard Certificates to Secure Unlimited Sub-domains.

Starting at $ per year

Business Certificates

View our Business Certificates to secure and verify your business.

Starting at $ per year

View all our SSL Certificate Available

1: Once you've added the SSL Certificate into your cart, you can now click on Checkout to complete the process.

SSLTrust Checkout Page

Fill in your account details

SSLTrust Account Details

Choose your preferred mode of payment and click on checkout.

SSLTrust Complete Order

2: After you have purchased the SSL Certificate, you can start the configuration process.
This can be started by going into your SSLTrust account and managing your recent purchase.
Head over to the SSLTrust Dashboard and under Services, select My Services.

SSL Dashboard

You should be able to see your purchased certificate and order status, now click on Manage

SSLTrust SSL

This will take you to the Product Details of your SSL Certificate. Click on start configuration to do the configuration yourself or you can provide the URL below to the appropriate person to complete the configuration for you.

Start SSL Configuration

3: Copy and paste the previously generated CSR (Certificate Signing Request) which should include:-

text

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
  -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
Verify CSR Details

Then, click on Verify CSR.
If the CSR details match the inputs you've entered before, you can now proceed or else generate a new CSR with proper details.

Actual CSR Details Pic

Select the Server Type and click on Next Step>

Server Type Step

4: Fill in your contact information

Contact Info

If you have a technical contact managing the certificate for you, please enter their details.
They will also have permission to manage the Certificate and will be sent renewal reminders.

Technical Contact

To obtain a business SSL certificate, you will need to provide your business details, including your correct address, phone number, and legal entity name. The Certificate Authority will verify the accuracy of this information. If there are any mistakes, it may cause delays in the process.
Then, click on Next Step

5: The next step in this process is Domain Control Validation (DCV).
DCV, or Domain Control Validation, is a crucial step in SSL certificate issuance. It verifies that the entity requesting the certificate has control over the specific domain by utilizing methods like email verification, file uploads, or DNS changes. This process ensures the legitimacy of SSL certificates and enhances online security.

Domain Control Validation

Select the method that is easiest for you. Having an email address with the domain name will be the quickest.
You will be sent an email containing a link which when clicked upon should validate your domain name.
In HTTP/HTTPS File Validation Method, you can create a folder in the specified and directory, paste in the contents and your domain should be validated.

HTTP Method DCV

The final method to validate your domain name would be CNAME Validation. Basically you have to create a CNAME record in your DNS Settings to validate your domain name and then click on the Check DNS Record button to verify DNS changes.

CNAME Method DCV

After a few seconds or minutes depending on your DNS propagation speed, the CNAME record should be verified.

DNS Check DNSChecker

The configuration should be a success. Click on the button below to access the validation manager.

Certificate Configuration Success

6: Your certificate should have now been issued if you completed all the above steps correctly.

Certificate Issue Success

If not, click on Domain Control Validation, and re-submit whatever method you chose for validation.
Upon completing domain validation using the chosen method, your SSL certificate will be issued. If you have ordered a Business SSL, you will need to wait for the Certificate Authority to verify your business address and phone number. If the validation process has not been completed or you have not received your certificate after a certain period of time, please reach out to the support team to check on the status of your certificate.

Step 3. Upload the SSL Certificate Files to your Server

Once your SSL certificate has been issued, you will receive an email with the certificate directly from the Certificate Authority. Alternatively, you can download the certificate from the SSLTrust Portal, which presents the certificate in a convenient, easy-to-use format.

Again, head over to the SSLTrust Dashboard and click on your certificate:-

dashboard-final

1: Click on Collect/Download Certificate-

Collect Certificate

Go to the first column and click on copy to clipboard

Copy SSL Certificate

2: Login to your account on CapRover and navigate to Settings in the left menu.

CapRover main dashboard

3: Click on "Load Default and Edit" under the Nginx Configuration. Scroll down to the Caprover config file.

CapRover Nginx Configuration Edit

4: Login to your server via SSH as root via Putty

5: Run the following commands and Paste in your copied primary certificate

shell

sudo mkdir /etc/certs
sudo nano /etc/certs/certificate.crt

6: Copy and paste your Private Key

shell

sudo nano /etc/certs/private.key

7: Furthermore, head back to the certificate collection page and click on copy to clipboard on the Intermediate certificate.

Copy Intermediate SSL Certificate

8: Paste the intermediate certificate just after the main certificate to form a chain such as.

text

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
  MAIN CERTIFICATE DATA
  -----END CERTIFICATE-----
  -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
  INTERMEDICATE CERTIFICATE DATA
  -----END CERTIFICATE-----

9: Make the following changes in the Nginx Default Configuration at /etc/nginx/conf.d/captain-root.conf
LOOK FOR:-

text

ssl_certificate     <%-s.crtPath%>;
ssl_certificate_key <%-s.keyPath%>;

CHANGE TO:-

text

ssl_certificate     <%/etc/certs/certificate.crt%>;
ssl_certificate_key <%/etc/certs/private.key%>;

10: Finally, click on Save and Restart.
Now, navigate to https:// yourdomain.com to view your secure website.

Step 4. Test the SSL Certificate

SSLTrust's Free SSL Checker is a tool that allows you to test and validate the SSL/TLS certificates installed on websites. Simply enter a domain name and it will analyze the certificate, providing details like the issuer, expiration date, encryption strength, and whether the certificate is properly configured and trusted by major browsers and operating systems. In SSL tests, receiving an "A" rating typically signifies that the SSL certificate and its configuration meet high security standards.

SSLTrust Free SSL Checker A Rating

The checker highlights any potential security issues or misconfigurations with the SSL implementation. This free tool makes it easy to verify if a website's SSL certificate is valid and secure, giving visitors confidence their connection is encrypted and their data is protected from eavesdroppers.

SSLTrust Free SSL Checker Detailed Report Example Drop Down

Additionally, you can also performed a detailed check which generates an actionable report with all the ins and out of your SSL Certificate. This includes Protocols, Ciphers, Vulnerabilities and much more.

SSLTrust Free SSL Checker Detailed Report

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You might require assistance from your web developer or make the necessary updates to your website personally to ensure that all files utilize "https://" and all links leading to and within your website employ "https://".

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Written by
Siddiqui Ammar


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