How to Install SSL Certificate on Lighttpd

Prerequisites

Before installing an SSL certificate on Lighttpd, ensure you have:

• Lighttpd installed and running
• Root or sudo access to the server
• Domain name pointing to your server
• SSL certificate files:
  • Certificate file (.crt)
  • Private key file (.key)
  • Certificate chain file (if applicable)

Obtaining SSL Certificate

You can obtain an SSL certificate through several methods:

Installing SSL Certificate

Follow these steps to install your SSL certificate:

1. Create a directory for certificates:

   sudo mkdir -p /etc/lighttpd/certs

2. Copy certificate files:

   sudo cp example.com.crt /etc/lighttpd/certs/
   sudo cp example.com.key /etc/lighttpd/certs/
   sudo cp chain.pem /etc/lighttpd/certs/

3. Set proper permissions:

   sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /etc/lighttpd/certs
   sudo chmod 600 /etc/lighttpd/certs/*

Configuring Lighttpd

Use our configuration generator to create your Lighttpd SSL configuration:

server.modules += ( "mod_ssl" )

$SERVER["socket"] == ":443" {
    ssl.engine = "enable"
    ssl.pemfile = "/etc/lighttpd/certs/example.com.pem"
    ssl.ca-file = "/etc/lighttpd/certs/chain.pem"
    
    # Modern SSL configuration
    ssl.use-sslv3 = "disable"
    ssl.use-compression = "disable"
    ssl.honor-cipher-order = "enable"
    ssl.cipher-list = "EECDH+AESGCM:EDH+AESGCM:AES256+EECDH:AES256+EDH"
    
    server.name = "example.com"
    server.document-root = "/var/www/html"
}

Testing Configuration

Verify your SSL configuration:

1. Test Lighttpd configuration:

   sudo lighttpd -t -f /etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

2. Restart Lighttpd:

   sudo systemctl restart lighttpd

3. Verify SSL installation:
   • Visit https://example.com
   • Check certificate details in browser
   • Use SSL testing tools (e.g., SSLLabs)

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Security:
  • Use modern SSL protocols (TLS 1.2+)
  • Implement strong cipher suites
  • Enable HSTS if possible
• Maintenance:
  • Regular certificate renewal
  • Keep Lighttpd updated
  • Monitor SSL performance

SSL Module Configuration

Advanced SSL module features in Lighttpd:

# Example SNI Configuration
$SERVER["socket"] == ":443" {
    ssl.engine = "enable"
    ssl.pemfile = "/etc/lighttpd/certs/example.com.pem"
    
    $HTTP["host"] == "example.com" {
        ssl.pemfile = "/etc/lighttpd/certs/example.com.pem"
    }
    
    $HTTP["host"] == "subdomain.example.com" {
        ssl.pemfile = "/etc/lighttpd/certs/subdomain.example.com.pem"
    }
}