Issuing SSL Certificates via Certbot

You can issue a free SSL Certificate signed by Let's Encrypt; a non profit organization, using Certbot. It's a free, open-source software tool that helps website administrators obtain and install SSL/TLS certificates.

Its primary purpose is to enable HTTPS on websites by automating certificate issuance, installation, and renewal.

Install Certbot from the command terminal

The commands provided are compatible with Ubuntu 22.04, CentOS uses yum, and AlmaLinux uses dnf.

1. Update system packages

sudo apt update

2. Install Certbot and its related plugin

sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx

3. If above command succeed without error, check version

certbot --version

If you see an up-to-date version (e.g. certbot 1.32.0), you may proceed.

Issuing SSL certificates using Certbot

1. Make sure your site is accessible over HTTP. Open your domain (e.g. example.com) in a browser. Certbot verifies domain ownership via port 80.

2. Run Certbot

sudo certbot --nginx

During the setup process, Certbot will do the following:

• Detect virtual hosts present
• Prompt you to choose the domain of your choice
• Automatically configure HTTPS

Certbot will also modify your Nginx/Apache config to add an HTTPS redirect.

Test your setup. Open your website in a browser! if everything works, you’ll see a padlock icon and the https:// prefix.

If you'd like, you can also test via the command line:

curl -I https://example.com

Automatic renewal information

By default, Certbot installs a cron job or systemd-timer for automatic certificate renewal. You can test the renewal manually by running the command in the terminal below.

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

If you see a return of Congratulations, all renewals succeeded, everything is OK and working as intended.

Your site is now protected with a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt, and Certbot will automatically manage renewals when needed.