106 lines
4.8 KiB
Markdown
106 lines
4.8 KiB
Markdown
Using SSL with Friendica
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=====================================
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* [Home](help)
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Disclaimer
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---
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**This document has been updated in November 2015.
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SSL encryption is relevant for security.
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This means that recommended settings change fast.
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Keep your setup up to date and do not rely on this document being updated as fast as technologies change!**
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Intro
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---
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If you are running your own Friendica site, you may want to use SSL (https) to encrypt communication between servers and between yourself and your server.
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There are basically two sorts of SSL certificates: Self-signed certificates and certificates signed by a certificate authority (CA).
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Technically, both provide the same valid encryption.
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There is a problem with self-signed certificates though:
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They are neither installed in browsers nor on other servers.
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That is why they provoke warnings about "mistrusted certificates".
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This is confusing and disturbing.
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For this reason, we recommend to get a certificate signed by a CA.
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Normally, you have to pay for them - and they are valid for a limited period of time (e.g. a year or two).
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There are ways to get a trusted certificate for free.
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Chose your domain name
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---
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Your SSL certificate will be valid for a domain or even only for a subdomain.
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Make your final decision about your domain resp. subdomain *before* ordering the certificate.
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Once you have it, changing the domain name means getting a new certificate.
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Shared hosts
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---
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If your Friendica instance is running on a shared hosting platform, you should first check with your hosting provider.
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They have instructions for you on how to do it there.
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You can always order a paid certificate with your provider.
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They will either install it for you or provide an easy way to upload the certificate and the key via a web interface.
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It might be worth asking if your provider would install a certificate you provide yourself, to save money.
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If so, read on.
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Getting a free StartSSL certificate
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StartSSL is a certificate authority that issues certificates for free.
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They are valid for a year and are sufficient for our purposes.
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### Step 1: Create a client certificate
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When you initially sign up with StartSSL, you receive a certificate that is installed in your browser.
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You need it for the login on startssl.com, also when coming back to the site later.
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It has nothing to do with the SSL certificate for your server.
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### Step 2: Validate your email address and your domain
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To continue you have to prove that you own the email address you specified and the domain that you want a certificate for.
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Specify your email address, request a validation link via email from the "validations wizard".
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Same procedure for the domain validation.
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### Step 3: Request the certificate
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Go to the "certificates wizard".
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Choose the target web server.
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When you are first prompted for a domain to certify, you need to enter your main domain, e.g. example.com.
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In the next step, you will be able to specify a subdomain for Friendica, if needed.
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Example: If you have friendica.example.com, you first enter example.com, then specify the subdomain friendica later.
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If you know how to generate an openssl key and a certificate signing request (csr) yourself, do so.
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Paste the csr into your browser to get it signed by StartSSL.
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If you do not know how to generate a key and a csr, accept StartSSL's offer to generate it for you.
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This means: StartSSL has the key to your encryption but it is better than no certificate at all.
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Download your certificate from the website.
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(Or in the second case: Download your certificate and your key.)
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To install your certificate on a server, you need one or two extra files: sub.class1.server.ca.pem and ca.pem, delivered by startssl.com
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Go to the "Tool box" section and download "Class 1 Intermediate Server CA" and "StartCom Root CA (PEM encoded)".
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If you want to send your certificate to your hosting provider, they need the certificate, the key and probably at least the intermediate server CA.
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To be sure, send those three and the ca.pem file.
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**You should send them to your provider via an encrypted channel!**
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If you run your own server, upload the files and check out the Mozilla wiki link below.
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Let's encrypt
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---
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If you run your own server, the "Let's encrypt" initiative might become an interesting alternative.
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Their offer is in public beta right now.
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Check out [their website](https://letsencrypt.org/) for status updates.
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Web server settings
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Visit the [Mozilla's wiki](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Server_Side_TLS) for instructions on how to configure a secure webserver.
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They provide recommendations for [different web servers](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Server_Side_TLS#Recommended_Server_Configurations).
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Test your SSL settings
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---
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When you are done, visit the test site [SSL Labs](https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/) to have them check if you succeeded.
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