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Using OpenSSL to Make a Request for a Virginia Tech Certification Authority (VTCA) Server or Application Certificate

Time to Complete (in minutes): 10

Question:

How do I use OpenSSL to make a request for a Virginia Tech Certification Authority (VTCA) server or application certificate?

Answer:

Download and install the most current recommended version of OpenSSL. OpenSSL is free to download and use.

To download OpenSSL:

OpenSSL for Linux can be downloaded from the Tarballs Web page.
OpenSSL for Windows can be downloaded from the Shining Light Productions Web site.
Important:
Windows users will need to install Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package x86 before OpenSSL will function properly.

To install OpenSSL:

Click Start.
Select Run.
In the Open: text box, type cmd.
Click OK.
In the C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe box, type cd c:\openssl\bin.
Generate the RSA key pair and certificate signing request (CSR): $openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout key.pem -out req.pem -nodes
Notes:
- You must specify your key size to be at least 2048 bits.
- If you want to encrypt your private key, do not include the -nodes option.
The previous command will result in a dialog with OpenSSL that requests DN attributes to complete the CSR. There are no special requirements to include specific DN attributes in the CSR that you generate. You may simply respond to the prompts and provide values for the default attributes that are presented in the dialog.

Example: Country Name (2 letter code) [AU]: press enter for default
      State or Province Name (full name) [Some-State]:press enter for default
      Locality Name (city) [ ]:press enter for default
      Organization Name (company) [internet Widgets Pty Ltd]:press enter for default
      Organizational Unit Name (section) [ ]:press enter for default
      Common Name (YOUR name) [ ]: press enter for default
      Email Address [ ]: press enter for default
      'Extra' Attributes:
      A challenge password [ ]: press enter for default
      An optional company name [ ]: press enter for default

Important: Keep all of the files created in the above procedure, as well as any passwords, in a safe location.

For more information on using OpenSSL, see the openssl(1) Web page.