Generating an SSL Key to work with node.js

Question

I'm working to setup a SSL via GoDaddy to use with my node.js server on AWS EC2. I've been unable to get it to work.

Here's what I've tried:

Intended for the domain: files.mysite.com

On the server I run:

$ openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout files.mysite.key -out files.mysite.csr Common Name: files.mysite.com password: left empty

I then get the CSR: vim files.mysite.csr

I copy and paste from:

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- ......... lots of stuff -----END CERTIFICATE-----

There is an extra empty line at the end, which I leave and paste into the GoDaddy interface using rekey.

I then download the godaddy key which provides:

gd_bundle.crt files.mysite.com.crt

Then in node I insert:

key: fs.readFileSync('server.key').toString(), cert: fs.readFileSync('server.crt').toString()

I'm not sure what server.key is or server.crt given that GoDaddy provides two crt files?
Can you help?

This question is also an answer. Your openssl command is appropriate to "generate a CSR for Node.js apps" Either that's REALLY obvious and I'm slow or it's not and there are likely a lot of people like me that need that info so I wish I could upvote this for both a question AND answer. — rainabba
– rainabba, Commented Aug 23, 2014 at 7:06

slebetman · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-19 08:50:06Z

27

GoDaddy uses an intermidiate certificate to sign your certificate. This has several advantages to both you and GoDaddy. But it takes a bit more work to get it to work (just a bit, mostly googling around).

In node.js you can install them like this:

require('https').createServer({ key: fs.readFileSync('files.mysite.com.key'), cert: fs.readFileSync('files.mysite.com.crt'), ca: [fs.readFileSync('gd_bundle.crt')] // <----- note this part }, app).listen(443);

answered Nov 19, 2012 at 8:50

slebetman

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4 Comments

Rachel D Roy Over a year ago

Why do you have [] around the ca but not the other fields?

slebetman Over a year ago

@RachelDRoy: Read the documentation. ca accepts an array of certificates in case there is more than one chain. For example, if gd_bundle itself was signed by another certificate.

candieduniverse Over a year ago

Eureka! It works! the note this part in the example was especially helpful with my GoDaddy SSL certificate.

Ayush Over a year ago

Since you are trying to pass an array to ca, you should split properly

tolgaio · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-19 07:07:35Z

You should use .crt and .key files at the creation of your http server instance. The following snippet will give you the idea :

require('https').createServer({ key: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/something.key'), cert: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/something.crt'), }, app).listen(443);

If you have a passphrase for your key, you can pass it though as follows :

require('https').createServer({ key: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/something.key'), cert: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/something.crt'), passphrase: 'your_secret_passpahrase' }, app).listen(443);

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