Haproxy on CentOS/RHEL 7
To use Certbot, you'll need...
A command line is a way of interacting with a computer by typing text-based commands to it and receiving text-based replies. Certbot is run from a command-line interface, usually on a Unix-like server. In order to use Certbot for most purposes, you’ll need to be able to install and run it on the command line of your web server, which is usually accessed over SSH.
A command line is a way of interacting with a computer by typing text-based commands to it and receiving text-based replies. Certbot is run from a command-line interface, usually on a Unix-like server. In order to use Certbot for most purposes, you’ll need to be able to install and run it on the command line of your web server, which is usually accessed over SSH.
A command line is a way of interacting with a computer by typing text-based commands to it and receiving text-based replies. Certbot is run from a command-line interface, usually on a Unix-like server. In order to use Certbot for most purposes, you’ll need to be able to install and run it on the command line of your web server, which is usually accessed over SSH.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the traditional, but insecure, method for web browsers to request the content of web pages and other online resources from web servers. It is an Internet standard and normally used with TCP port 80. Almost all websites in the world support HTTP, but websites that have been configured with Certbot or some other method of setting up HTTPS may automatically redirect users from the HTTP version of the site to the HTTPS version.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the traditional, but insecure, method for web browsers to request the content of web pages and other online resources from web servers. It is an Internet standard and normally used with TCP port 80. Almost all websites in the world support HTTP, but websites that have been configured with Certbot or some other method of setting up HTTPS may automatically redirect users from the HTTP version of the site to the HTTPS version.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the traditional, but insecure, method for web browsers to request the content of web pages and other online resources from web servers. It is an Internet standard and normally used with TCP port 80. Almost all websites in the world support HTTP, but websites that have been configured with Certbot or some other method of setting up HTTPS may automatically redirect users from the HTTP version of the site to the HTTPS version.
that is
Certbot is usually meant to be used to switch an existing HTTP site to work in HTTPS (and, afterward, to continue renewing the site’s HTTPS certificates whenever necessary). Some Certbot documentation assumes or recommends that you have a working web site that can already be accessed using HTTP on port 80. That means, for example, that if you use a web browser to go to your domain using http://, your web server answers and some kind of content comes up (even if it’s just a default welcome page rather than the final version of your site). Some methods of using Certbot have this as a prerequisite, so you’ll have a smoother experience if you already have a site set up with HTTP. (If your site can’t be accessed this way as a matter of policy, you’ll probably need to use DNS validation in order to get a certificate with Certbot.)
Certbot is usually meant to be used to switch an existing HTTP site to work in HTTPS (and, afterward, to continue renewing the site’s HTTPS certificates whenever necessary). Some Certbot documentation assumes or recommends that you have a working web site that can already be accessed using HTTP on port 80. That means, for example, that if you use a web browser to go to your domain using http://, your web server answers and some kind of content comes up (even if it’s just a default welcome page rather than the final version of your site). Some methods of using...
Certbot is usually meant to be used to switch an existing HTTP site to work in HTTPS (and, afterward, to continue renewing the site’s HTTPS certificates whenever necessary). Some Certbot documentation assumes or recommends that you have a working web site that can already be accessed using HTTP on port 80. That means, for example, that if you use a web browser to go to your domain using http://, your web server answers and some kind of content comes up (even if it’s just a default welcome page rather than the final version of your site). Some methods of using Certbot have this as a prerequisite, so you’ll have a smoother experience if you already have a site set up with HTTP. (If your site can’t be accessed this way as a matter of policy, you’ll probably need to use DNS validation in order to get a certificate with Certbot.)
with an open
Different Internet services are distinguished by using different TCP port numbers. Unencrypted HTTP normally uses TCP port 80, while encrypted HTTPS normally uses TCP port 443. To use certbot –webroot, certbot –apache, or certbot –nginx, you should have an existing HTTP website that’s already online hosted on the server where you’re going to use Certbot. This site should be available to the rest of the Internet on port 80. To use certbot –standalone, you don’t need an existing site, but you have to make sure connections to port 80 on your server are not blocked by a firewall, including a firewall that may be run by your Internet service provider or web hosting provider. Please check with your ISP or hosting provider if you’re not sure. (Using DNS validation does not require Let’s Encrypt to make any inbound connection to your server, so with this method in particular it’s not necessary to have an existing HTTP website or the ability to receive connections on port 80.)
Different Internet services are distinguished by using different TCP port numbers. Unencrypted HTTP normally uses TCP port 80, while encrypted HTTPS normally uses TCP port 443. To use certbot –webroot, certbot –apache, or certbot –nginx, you should have an existing HTTP website that’s already online hosted on the server where you’re going to use Certbot. This site should be available to the rest of the Internet on port 80. To use certbot –standalone, you don’t need an existing site, but you have to make sure connections to port 80 on your server are not blocked by a firewall, including a...
Different Internet services are distinguished by using different TCP port numbers. Unencrypted HTTP normally uses TCP port 80, while encrypted HTTPS normally uses TCP port 443. To use certbot –webroot, certbot –apache, or certbot –nginx, you should have an existing HTTP website that’s already online hosted on the server where you’re going to use Certbot. This site should be available to the rest of the Internet on port 80. To use certbot –standalone, you don’t need an existing site, but you have to make sure connections to port 80 on your server are not blocked by a firewall, including a firewall that may be run by your Internet service provider or web hosting provider. Please check with your ISP or hosting provider if you’re not sure. (Using DNS validation does not require Let’s Encrypt to make any inbound connection to your server, so with this method in particular it’s not necessary to have an existing HTTP website or the ability to receive connections on port 80.)
A server is a computer on the Internet that provides a service, like a web site or an email service. Most web site owners pay a hosting provider for the use of a server located in a data center and administered over the Internet. This might be a physical dedicated server, a virtual private server (VPS), or a shared server. Other servers provide other parts of the Internet infrastructure, such as DNS servers.
A server is a computer on the Internet that provides a service, like a web site or an email service. Most web site owners pay a hosting provider for the use of a server located in a data center and administered over the Internet. This might be a physical dedicated server, a virtual private server (VPS), or a shared server. Other servers provide other parts of the Internet infrastructure, such as DNS servers.
A server is a computer on the Internet that provides a service, like a web site or an email service. Most web site owners pay a hosting provider for the use of a server located in a data center and administered over the Internet. This might be a physical dedicated server, a virtual private server (VPS), or a shared server. Other servers provide other parts of the Internet infrastructure, such as DNS servers.
which you can access via
SSH (which stands for “secure shell”) is a technology for connecting to a remote server and accessing a command line on that server, often in order to administer it. The administrator of a server can grant SSH access to others, and can also use SSH access directly in order to administer the server remotely. SSH is usually used to access servers running Unix-like operating systems, but your own computer doesn’t have to be running Unix in order to use SSH. You normally use SSH from your computer’s command line in a terminal by typing a command such as ssh username@example.com, especially if your own computer runs Linux or macOS. After logging in, you’ll have access to the server’s command line. If you use Windows on your computer, you might also use a dedicated SSH application such as PuTTY. Most Certbot users run Certbot from a command prompt on a remote server over SSH.
SSH (which stands for “secure shell”) is a technology for connecting to a remote server and accessing a command line on that server, often in order to administer it. The administrator of a server can grant SSH access to others, and can also use SSH access directly in order to administer the server remotely. SSH is usually used to access servers running Unix-like operating systems, but your own computer doesn’t have to be running Unix in order to use SSH. You normally use SSH from your computer’s command line in a terminal by typing a command such as ssh username@example.com,...
SSH (which stands for “secure shell”) is a technology for connecting to a remote server and accessing a command line on that server, often in order to administer it. The administrator of a server can grant SSH access to others, and can also use SSH access directly in order to administer the server remotely. SSH is usually used to access servers running Unix-like operating systems, but your own computer doesn’t have to be running Unix in order to use SSH. You normally use SSH from your computer’s command line in a terminal by typing a command such as ssh username@example.com, especially if your own computer runs Linux or macOS. After logging in, you’ll have access to the server’s command line. If you use Windows on your computer, you might also use a dedicated SSH application such as PuTTY. Most Certbot users run Certbot from a command prompt on a remote server over SSH.
with the ability to
Sudo is the most common command on Unix-like operating systems to run a specific command as root (the system administrator). If you’re logged in to your server as a user other than root, you’ll likely need to put sudo before your Certbot commands so that they run as root (for example, sudo certbot instead of just certbot), especially if you’re using Certbot’s integration with a web server like Apache or Nginx. (The certbot-auto script automatically runs sudo if it’s necessary and you didn’t specify it.)
Sudo is the most common command on Unix-like operating systems to run a specific command as root (the system administrator). If you’re logged in to your server as a user other than root, you’ll likely need to put sudo before your Certbot commands so that they run as root (for example, sudo certbot instead of just certbot), especially if you’re using Certbot’s integration with a web server like Apache or Nginx. (The certbot-auto script automatically runs sudo if it’s necessary and you didn’t specify it.)
Sudo is the most common command on Unix-like operating systems to run a specific command as root (the system administrator). If you’re logged in to your server as a user other than root, you’ll likely need to put sudo before your Certbot commands so that they run as root (for example, sudo certbot instead of just certbot), especially if you’re using Certbot’s integration with a web server like Apache or Nginx. (The certbot-auto script automatically runs sudo if it’s necessary and you didn’t specify it.)
optional if you want a
A wildcard certificate is a certificate that includes one or more names starting with *.. Browsers will accept any label in place of the asterisk (*). For example, a certificate for *.example.com will be valid for www.example.com, mail.example.com, hello.example.com, and goodbye.example.com.
However, a wildcard certificate including only the name *.example.com will not be valid for example.com: the substituted label can not be empty. If you want the certificate to be valid for example.com, you also need to include example.com (i.e. without the *. part) on the certificate.
Additionally, the asterisk can only be substituted by a single label and not by multiple labels. For example, the name hello.goodbye.example.com will not be covered by a certificate including only the name *.example.com. It will be covered however, by *.goodbye.example.com. Note that a wildcard name can not contain multiple asterisks. For example, *.*.example.com is not valid.
A wildcard certificate is a certificate that includes one or more names starting with *.. Browsers will accept any label in place of the asterisk (*). For example, a certificate for *.example.com will be valid for www.example.com, mail.example.com, hello.example.com, and goodbye.example.com. However, a wildcard certificate including only the name *.example.com will not be valid for example.com: the substituted label can not be empty. If you want the certificate to be valid for example.com, you also need to include example.com (i.e. without the *. part) on the certificate. Additionally, the asterisk can only be substituted by a single label and not...
A wildcard certificate is a certificate that includes one or more names starting with *.. Browsers will accept any label in place of the asterisk (*). For example, a certificate for *.example.com will be valid for www.example.com, mail.example.com, hello.example.com, and goodbye.example.com.
However, a wildcard certificate including only the name *.example.com will not be valid for example.com: the substituted label can not be empty. If you want the certificate to be valid for example.com, you also need to include example.com (i.e. without the *. part) on the certificate.
Additionally, the asterisk can only be substituted by a single label and not by multiple labels. For example, the name hello.goodbye.example.com will not be covered by a certificate including only the name *.example.com. It will be covered however, by *.goodbye.example.com. Note that a wildcard name can not contain multiple asterisks. For example, *.*.example.com is not valid.
DNS credentials are a password or other kind of secret (such as an API key) that your DNS provider lets you use to change the contents of your DNS records. They are usually issued by your domain registrar (or by another DNS provider, if your DNS provider isn’t the same as your registrar). DNS credentials are a sensitive kind of secret because they can be used to take over your site completely. You should never share these credentials publicly or with an unauthorized person. It can be OK to provide a copy of them to Certbot to let it perform DNS validation automatically, since it runs locally on your machine.
DNS credentials are a password or other kind of secret (such as an API key) that your DNS provider lets you use to change the contents of your DNS records. They are usually issued by your domain registrar (or by another DNS provider, if your DNS provider isn’t the same as your registrar). DNS credentials are a sensitive kind of secret because they can be used to take over your site completely. You should never share these credentials publicly or with an unauthorized person. It can be OK to provide a copy of them to Certbot to let it perform...
DNS credentials are a password or other kind of secret (such as an API key) that your DNS provider lets you use to change the contents of your DNS records. They are usually issued by your domain registrar (or by another DNS provider, if your DNS provider isn’t the same as your registrar). DNS credentials are a sensitive kind of secret because they can be used to take over your site completely. You should never share these credentials publicly or with an unauthorized person. It can be OK to provide a copy of them to Certbot to let it perform DNS validation automatically, since it runs locally on your machine.
Don't have these requirements?
Not to worry! Some hosting providers automate the HTTPS process. See the full list of hosting providers, or find out more about how to set up your system.
A wildcard certificate is a certificate that includes one or more names starting with *.. Browsers will accept any label in place of the asterisk (*). For example, a certificate for *.example.com will be valid for www.example.com, mail.example.com, hello.example.com, and goodbye.example.com.
However, a wildcard certificate including only the name *.example.com will not be valid for example.com: the substituted label can not be empty. If you want the certificate to be valid for example.com, you also need to include example.com (i.e. without the *. part) on the certificate.
Additionally, the asterisk can only be substituted by a single label and not by multiple labels. For example, the name hello.goodbye.example.com will not be covered by a certificate including only the name *.example.com. It will be covered however, by *.goodbye.example.com. Note that a wildcard name can not contain multiple asterisks. For example, *.*.example.com is not valid.
A wildcard certificate is a certificate that includes one or more names starting with *.. Browsers will accept any label in place of the asterisk (*). For example, a certificate for *.example.com will be valid for www.example.com, mail.example.com, hello.example.com, and goodbye.example.com. However, a wildcard certificate including only the name *.example.com will not be valid for example.com: the substituted label can not be empty. If you want the certificate to be valid for example.com, you also need to include example.com (i.e. without the *. part) on the certificate. Additionally, the asterisk can only be substituted by a single label and not...
A wildcard certificate is a certificate that includes one or more names starting with *.. Browsers will accept any label in place of the asterisk (*). For example, a certificate for *.example.com will be valid for www.example.com, mail.example.com, hello.example.com, and goodbye.example.com.
However, a wildcard certificate including only the name *.example.com will not be valid for example.com: the substituted label can not be empty. If you want the certificate to be valid for example.com, you also need to include example.com (i.e. without the *. part) on the certificate.
Additionally, the asterisk can only be substituted by a single label and not by multiple labels. For example, the name hello.goodbye.example.com will not be covered by a certificate including only the name *.example.com. It will be covered however, by *.goodbye.example.com. Note that a wildcard name can not contain multiple asterisks. For example, *.*.example.com is not valid.
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SSH into the server
SSH into the server running your HTTP website as a user with sudo privileges.
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Install snapd
You'll need to install snapd and make sure you follow any instructions to enable classic snap support.
Follow these instructions on snapcraft's site to install snapd. -
Ensure that your version of snapd is up to date
Execute the following instructions on the command line on the machine to ensure that you have the latest version of snapd.
sudo snap install core; sudo snap refresh core
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Remove certbot-auto and any Certbot OS packages
If you have any Certbot packages installed using an OS package manager like apt, dnf, or yum, you should remove them before installing the Certbot snap to ensure that when you run the command certbot the snap is used rather than the installation from your OS package manager. The exact command to do this depends on your OS, but common examples are sudo apt-get remove certbot, sudo dnf remove certbot, or sudo yum remove certbot.
If you previously used Certbot through the certbot-auto script, you should also remove its installation by following the instructions here.
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Install Certbot
Run this command on the command line on the machine to install Certbot.
sudo snap install --classic certbot
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Prepare the Certbot command
Execute the following instruction on the command line on the machine to ensure that the certbot command can be run.
sudo ln -s /snap/bin/certbot /usr/bin/certbot
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Choose how you'd like to run Certbot
Are you ok with temporarily stopping your website?
Yes, my web server is not currently running on this machine.
Stop your webserver, then run this command to get a certificate. Certbot will temporarily spin up a webserver on your machine.
sudo certbot certonly --standaloneNo, I need to keep my web server running.
If you have a webserver that's already using port 80 and don't want to stop it while Certbot runs, run this command and follow the instructions in the terminal.
sudo certbot certonly --webroot -
Install your certificate
You'll need to install your new certificate in the configuration file for your webserver.
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Test automatic renewal
The Certbot packages on your system come with a cron job or systemd timer that will renew your certificates automatically before they expire. You will not need to run Certbot again, unless you change your configuration. You can test automatic renewal for your certificates by running this command:
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
The command to renew certbot is installed in one of the following locations:
- /etc/crontab/
- /etc/cron.*/*
- systemctl list-timers
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Confirm that Certbot worked
To confirm that your site is set up properly, visit https://yourwebsite.com/ in your browser and look for the lock icon in the URL bar.
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Need more HAProxy-specific information?
Certificate installation with HAProxy is complicated. You can find more information in of these guides:
Or you might be interested in using the experimental third-party HAProxy plugin from Greenhost.
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Check if your DNS provider is supported
See if your DNS provider is supported by Certbot by checking this list in our documentation.
check if your DNS provider supports Certbot
Not supported?
If your DNS provider is not supported, pause here: run Certbot with the manual plugin by using these steps from our documentation.
Supported?
If your DNS provider is supported, continue with the remaining instructions below.
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SSH into the server
SSH into the server running your HTTP website as a user with sudo privileges.
-
Install snapd
You'll need to install snapd and make sure you follow any instructions to enable classic snap support.
Follow these instructions on snapcraft's site to install snapd. -
Ensure that your version of snapd is up to date
Execute the following instructions on the command line on the machine to ensure that you have the latest version of snapd.
sudo snap install core; sudo snap refresh core
-
Remove certbot-auto and any Certbot OS packages
If you have any Certbot packages installed using an OS package manager like apt, dnf, or yum, you should remove them before installing the Certbot snap to ensure that when you run the command certbot the snap is used rather than the installation from your OS package manager. The exact command to do this depends on your OS, but common examples are sudo apt-get remove certbot, sudo dnf remove certbot, or sudo yum remove certbot.
If you previously used Certbot through the certbot-auto script, you should also remove its installation by following the instructions here.
-
Install Certbot
Run this command on the command line on the machine to install Certbot.
sudo snap install --classic certbot
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Prepare the Certbot command
Execute the following instruction on the command line on the machine to ensure that the certbot command can be run.
sudo ln -s /snap/bin/certbot /usr/bin/certbot
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Confirm plugin containment level
Run this command on the command line on the machine to acknowledge that the installed plugin will have the same classic containment as the Certbot snap.
sudo snap set certbot trust-plugin-with-root=ok
If you encounter issues with running Certbot, you may need to follow this step, then the "Install correct DNS plugin" step, again.
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Install correct DNS plugin
Run the following command, replacing <PLUGIN> with the name of your DNS provider.
sudo snap install certbot-dns-<PLUGIN>
For example, if your DNS provider is Cloudflare, you'd run the following command:
sudo snap install certbot-dns-cloudflare
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Set up credentials
You'll need to set up DNS credentials.
Follow the steps in the "Credentials" section for your DNS provider to access or create the appropriate credential configuration file. Find credentials instructions for your DNS provider by clicking the DNS plugin's name on the Documentation list. -
Get a certificate
Run one of the commands in the "Examples" section of the instructions for your DNS provider.
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Install your certificate
You'll need to install your new certificate in the configuration file for your webserver.
-
Test automatic renewal
The Certbot packages on your system come with a cron job or systemd timer that will renew your certificates automatically before they expire. You will not need to run Certbot again, unless you change your configuration. You can test automatic renewal for your certificates by running this command:
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
The command to renew certbot is installed in one of the following locations:
- /etc/crontab/
- /etc/cron.*/*
- systemctl list-timers
-
Confirm that Certbot worked
To confirm that your site is set up properly, visit https://yourwebsite.com/ in your browser and look for the lock icon in the URL bar.
-
Need more HAProxy-specific information?
Certificate installation with HAProxy is complicated. You can find more information in of these guides:
Or you might be interested in using the experimental third-party HAProxy plugin from Greenhost.
