How To Generate Let's Encrypt Certificate On Ubuntu (2024)

Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA) that provides free SSL/TLS certificates, and it’s widely used to secure websites.

In this guide, we will discuss how to generate a Let’s Encrypt certificate on an Ubuntu server.

We will cover the necessary steps, including installation, certificate generation, and renewal.

Installation and Prerequisites

Before generating a Let’s Encrypt certificate on Ubuntu, you need to have Nginx or Apache installed on your Ubuntu server.

Additionally, you should own or control the registered domain name for the certificate.

If you don’t have a registered domain name, you can use a domain name registrar, such as Truehost.com or dnsexit.

To install Certbot, the client recommended by Let’s Encrypt, you can use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:certbot/certbot
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install certbot

Generating the Certificate

To generate a Let’s Encrypt certificate on Ubuntu, you can use the Certbot tool.

For Nginx, you can use the following command:

sudo certbot --nginx -d your_domain -d www.your_domain

For Apache, you can use:

sudo certbot --apache -d your_domain -d www.your_domain

Replace “your_domain” with your actual domain name. The certificate and related files will be saved in the /etc/letsencrypt/live/your_domain directory.

How to install and configure Let’s Encrypt with Apache on Ubuntu

To install and configure Let’s Encrypt with Apache on Ubuntu, you need to follow a few steps.

First, you need to install Certbot, the client recommended by Let’s Encrypt.

You can use the default Ubuntu package repositories for that.

You need two packages: certbot and python3-certbot-apache.

You can install them using the following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache

After installing Certbot, you can obtain and install the certificate using the following command:

sudo certbot --apache -d your_domain -d www.your_domain

Replace “your_domain” with your actual domain name.

The certificate and related files will be saved in the /etc/letsencrypt/live/your_domain directory.

Set up automatic renewal for your Let’s Encrypt certificate to ensure continuous protection.

You can do this by adding a cron job to run the renewal command daily. The command is:

0 0 * * * /usr/bin/certbot renew --renew-hook "/usr/sbin/apachectl -k graceful" --quiet

This will check for expiring certificates daily and renew them if they are within 30 days of expiration.

Verify that your website is now accessible via HTTPS. Open a web browser and navigate to your domain (e.g., https://example.com).

You should see a secure connection with a padlock icon in the address bar.

Renewal

Set up automatic renewal for your Let’s Encrypt certificate on Ubuntu to ensure continuous protection.

You can do this by adding a cron job to run the renewal command daily.

For Nginx, the command is:

0 0 * * * /usr/bin/certbot renew --renew-hook "/bin/systemctl --no-block reload nginx" --quiet

For Apache, the command is:

0 0 * * * /usr/bin/certbot renew --renew-hook "/bin/systemctl --no-block reload apache2" --quiet

This will check for expiring certificates daily and renew them if they are within 30 days of expiration.

How to troubleshoot common issues when installing Let’s Encrypt On Ubuntu

Installing Let’s Encrypt on Ubuntu can be straightforward, but you might encounter common issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot some of them:

Before we begin:

Specify your setup: Mention if you’re using Apache, Nginx, or another web server. This helps tailor solutions.
Share error messages: If you have any specific errors, provide them verbatim. It gives valuable clues.

General Troubleshooting:

1. Use the latest Certbot: Outdated versions may have bugs. Update with sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade certbot.

2. Check DNS propagation: Ensure your domain’s DNS records are propagated (A, CNAME) before obtaining a certificate. Use tools like dig or online checkers.

3. Verify web server configuration: Make sure your web server (Apache, Nginx) is configured correctly for Let’s Encrypt. It should listen on ports 80 and 443 and have correct server directives.

Common Issues and Solutions:

1. Timeout errors:

Firewall: Check if your firewall blocks ports 80 and 443. Temporarily disable it for testing and consider specific Let’s Encrypt rules.
Network: Ensure your server has internet access and can reach Let’s Encrypt servers.

2. “Unauthorized” (404) errors:

Webroot: Double-check the webroot path specified for the challenge. It should be publicly accessible.
Permissions: Ensure the webroot directory has read/write permissions for the user running Certbot.

3. Nginx configs not taking effect:

Reload Nginx: After editing the configuration, reload Nginx with sudo systemctl reload nginx.
Syntax errors: Check your Nginx configuration for syntax errors using sudo nginx -t.

4. Other issues:

Rate limits: Let’s Encrypt has rate limits. Respect them and wait before retrying requests.
Challenge type: Consider using the dns-google plugin if webroot verification fails. It requires setting up TXT records at your domain registrar.

Additional Resources:

Certbot Docs: https://certbot.eff.org/instructions
Let’s Encrypt Troubleshooting: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-fix-common-letsencrypt-errors
Let’s Encrypt Community Support: https://community.letsencrypt.org/

Wrap!

In this guide, we have covered the process of generating a Let’s Encrypt certificate on an Ubuntu server.

You can secure your website with a free SSL/TLS certificate, enhancing its security and trustworthiness.

Ensure that your certificate is renewed before it expires to maintain continuous protection.

Remember to regularly check the certificate’s expiration and renew it when needed to maintain secure communication between your website and its users.

How To Generate Let’s Encrypt Certificate On Ubuntu