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• Generate Csr From Existing Private Key
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• Generate Private Key For Certificate

What is a CSR? A CSR or Certificate Signing request is a block of encoded text that is given to a Certificate Authority when applying for an SSL Certificate. It is usually generated on the server where the certificate will be installed and contains information that will be included in the certificate such as the organization name, common name (domain name), locality, and country. It also contains the public key that will be included in the certificate. A private key is usually created at the same time that you create the CSR, making a key pair. A CSR is generally encoded using ASN.1 according to the PKCS #10 specification.

Jul 09, 2019 Can I generate a new Private Key for my Certificate if I lose the old one? You can generate a new private key and CSR, or use the automatic CSR and key generation during Certificate reissue (this option is available for all Certificates except for the Multi-Domains). What does the Private Key look like?

A certificate authority will use a CSR to create your SSL certificate, but it does not need your private key. You need to keep your private key secret. The certificate created with a particular CSR will only work with the private key that was generated with it. So if you lose the private key, the certificate will no longer work.

What is contained in a CSR?

Sep 29, 2017  This article will go through steps to create a wallet containing your server certificate and private key provided by your administrator. 1) Creating an auto-login (cwallet.sso) Create a new wallet directory to keep things tidy. Put together a file “introotchain.cer” with: intermediate CA + root CA certificate. Use the private key file private.txt as the. Set OPENSSLCONF=c:openssl-win32binopenssl.cfg openssl pkcs12 -in filename.pfx -nocerts -out key.pem openssl rsa -in key.pem -out myserver.key. The private key will be saved as ‘myserver.key’. Carefully protect the private key. Be sure to backup the private.

What does a CSR look like?

Most CSRs are created in the Base-64 encoded PEM format. This format includes the '-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----' and '-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----' lines at the begining and end of the CSR. A PEM format CSR can be opened in a text editor and looks like the following example:

Generate ssh key in bash. -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----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-----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----

How do I generate a CSR and private key?

You need to generate a CSR and private key on the server that the certificate will be used on. You can find instructions in your server documentation or try the instructions from one of these certificate authorities:

Comodo CSR Generation Instructions
DigiCert CSR Generation Instructions
Entrust CSR Generation Instructions
GeoTrust CSR Generation Instructions
Thawte CSR Generation Instructions

Once you have your CSR generated, you can use our SSL Wizard to find the best SSL certificate that will meet your needs. If you are familiar with OpenSSL you can use the following command to generate a CSR and private key:

openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -out servername.csr -keyout servername.key

How do I decode a CSR?

1. What I am trying to do is, create a CSR and with a private key that is password protected (the key). In OpenSSL I can create a private key with a password like so: openssl genrsa -des3 -out privkey.pem 2048 Is there some way I can use the key I just created and generate a CSR using the key?
2. The private key is not being encrypted, but just used to encrypt CSR's info. @Armin In the question the command openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout my.key -out my.csr will both generate a private key and use it to sign a CSR. OpenSSL, by default, prompts for a password and uses that to encrypt the private key on disk.
3. CSR and Private Key Generation Has Never Been Easier The method of generating a certificate signing request (CSR) differs from one server to another. Our CSR Generation guide includes all necessary steps and information that you need while generating Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for your SSL certificate.

You can easily decode your CSR to see what is in it by using our CSR Decoder. In order to decode a CSR on your own machine using OpenSSL, use the following command:

openssl req -in server.csr -noout -text

What is a CSR/Private Key's bit length?

The bit-length of a CSR and private key pair determine how easily the key can be cracked using brute force methods. As of 2016, a key size of less than 2048 bits is considered weak and could potentially be broken in a few months or less with enough computing power. If a private key is broken, all the connections initiated with it would be exposed to whomever had the key. The Extended Validation guidelines that SSL certificate providers are required to follow, require that all EV certificates use a 2048-bit key size to ensure their security well into the future. Because of this, most providers encourage 2048-bit keys on all certificates whether they are EV or not.

Originally posted on Sun Dec 7, 2008

Generate a certificate signing request

Before you can install a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate, you must first generate a certificate signing request (CSR). You can do this by using one of the following methods:

OpenSSL

The following sections describe how to use OpenSSL to generate a CSR for a single host name. If you want to generate a CSR for multiple host names, we recommend using the Cloud Control Panel or the MyRackspace Portal.

Install OpenSSL

Check whether OpenSSL is installed by using the following command:

• CentOS® and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®

  The following output provides an example of what the command returns:

• Debian® and the Ubuntu® operating system

  The following output provides an example of what the command returns:

If the preceding packages are not returned, install OpenSSL by running the following command:

• CentOS and Red Hat

• Debian and the Ubuntu operating system

Generate the RSA key

Run the following commands to create a directory in which to store your RSA key, substituting a directory name of your choice:

Run the following command to generate a private key:

Create a CSR

Run the following command to create a CSR with the RSA private key (output is in Privacy-Enhanced Mail (PEM) format):

When prompted, enter the necessary information for creating a CSR by using the conventions shown in the following table.

Note: You cannot use the following characters in the Organization Name or Organizational Unit fields: < > ~ ! @ # $ % ^ * / ( ) ? . , &

Warning: Leave the challenge password blank (press Enter).

Verify your CSR

Run the following command to verify your CSR:

After you have verified your CSR, you can submit it to a CA to purchase an SSL certificate.

Windows IIS Manager

Use the following steps to generate a CSR by using Windows IIS Manager:

Note: The following steps are for IIS 8 or IIS 8.5 on Windows Server 2012.

1. Open IIS Manager.
2. In the left-hand Connections pane, click the server for which you want to generate a CSR.
3. In the center server Home pane under the IIS section, double-click Server Certificates.
4. In the right-hand Actions pane, click Create Certificate Request.

5. In the Request Certificate wizard, on the Distinguished Name Properties page, enter the following information and then click Next.

   Field	Explanation	Example
   Common Name	The fully qualified domain name to which the certificate applies. The domain names example.com and www.example.com are distinct from each other, so be sure to submit your request for the right domain. If you are purchasing a wildcard certificate, use *.example.com.	example.com
   Organization Name	The exact legal name of your organization. The CA might seek to confirm that your organization is real and legally registered, so don’t abbreviate words that aren’t abbreviated in the organization’s legal name.	Example Inc.
   Organizational Unit	The branch of your organization that is making the request.	Marketing
   City/locality	The city where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the city name.	San Antonio
   State/province	The state or province where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the state or province name.	Texas
   Country/region	The two-letter ISO abbreviation for your country.	US

6. On the Cryptographic Server Provider Properties page, enter the following information and then click Next.

   • Cryptographic service provider: Unless you have a specific cryptographic provider, use the default selection.
   • Bit length: 2048 is the recommended bit length.
7. On the File Name page, enter the location where you want to save the certificate request file and then click Finish.

After you have generated the CSR, you can submit it to a CA to purchase an SSL certificate.

Cloud Control Panel

Rackspace provides the CSR Generator for generating a CSR. The CSR Generator shows you the CSRs that you currently have and lets you create new CSRs with a simple form. After you have entered your details, the generator combines them with your private key so that you can submit the combined encoded information to a CA.

When you are done with the generator, you can return to the Cloud Control Panel by clicking any of the links in the top navigation or by going to login.rackspace.com and selecting Rackspace Cloud from the drop-down product menu in the top navigation bar.

Access the CSR Generator

Access the CSR Generator directly or through the Control Panel by using the following steps:

1. Log in to the Cloud Control Panel and select Rackspace Cloud from the drop-down product menu in the top navigation bar.
2. In the top navigation bar, click Servers > Cloud Servers.
3. Click the name of the server for which you want to generate a CSR.
4. In the right-hand Managing Your Server section under Help me with, click Generate a CSR.

The generator lists your existing CSRs, if you have any, organized by domain name.

Generate a CSR

1. Click Create CSR.

2. Enter the following information, which will be associated with the CSR:

   Field	Explanation	Example
   Domain Name	The fully qualified domain name to which the certificate applies. The domain names example.com and www.example.com are distinct from each other, so be sure to submit your request for the right domain. If you want to secure both domains, you can use the Alt Names field. If you are purchasing a wildcard certificate, use *.example.com.	example.com
   Alt Names	(Optional) Additional domains that you want to add to the request. Each CA treats these differently, and the CA might charge for additional names. You can submit a comma-separated list.	www.example.com, secure.example.com
   Email Address	(Optional) A contact email address for the certificate.	support@example.com
   Organization Name	The exact legal name of your organization. The CA might seek to confirm that your organization is real and legally registered, so don’t abbreviate words that aren’t abbreviated in the organization’s legal name.	Example Inc.
   Organizational Unit	(Optional) The branch of your organization that is making the request.	Marketing
   City	The city where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the city name.	San Antonio
   State or Province	The state or province where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the state or province name.	Texas
   Country	Choose your country from the drop-down menu. The two-letter ISO abbreviation for your country is included in the CSR.	United States
   Private Key Bit Length	Key sizes smaller than 2048 are considered insecure and might not be accepted by a CA.	1024,2048,4096
   Hashing Algorithm	Both algorithms are currently trusted in mainstream browsers and offer industry recommended security. SHA-512 requires additional CPU processing.	SHA-256, SHA-512

   Note: You cannot use the following characters in the Organization Name or Organizational Unit fields: < > ~ ! @ # $ % ^ * / ( ) ? . , &

3. After you have entered all the required information, click Create CSR.

It can take between 5 and 60 seconds for the CSR to be generated. You might need to refresh the page that displays your CSRs before the new CSR is listed.

View CSR details

When CSR has been generated, you can click its UUID (unique identifier) in the CSR list to view its details screen.

This screen displays the information that you provided, the text of the CSR, and its associated private key.

Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Key Work

Submit the CSR to the CA

The text in the Certificate Request field is the CSR. It contains encoded details of the CSR and your public key.

To request your SSL certificate, copy the Certificate Request text and submit it to your CA. Include all the text, including the BEGIN and END lines at the beginning and end of the text block.

Install the private key

Copy the private key to the server that will host the certificate. See your application documentation to determine where to install the private key and certificate on your server.

MyRackspace Portal

If you are a Managed or Dedicated customer, you can request a CSR through the MyRackspace Portal by using the following steps:

Generate Csr From Existing Private Key

1. Log in to the MyRackspace Portal and select Dedicated Hosting from the drop-down product menu in the top navigation bar.
2. In the top navigation bar, click Tickets > Create Ticket.
3. On the Tickets / Create New Ticket page, select Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from the Subject drop-down list.

4. Enter the following information in the Ticket Details section:

   Field	Explanation	Example
   Device(s)	The server or servers for which you want to generate a CSR. Use the drop-down menu to select your servers.
   Common Name	The fully qualified domain name to which the certificate applies. The domain names example.com and www.example.com are distinct from each other, so be sure to submit your request for the right domain. If you want to secure both domains, you can use the Alt Names field. If you are purchasing a wildcard certificate, use *.example.com.	example.com
   Alt. Names	(Optional) Additional domains that you want to add to the request. Each CA treats these differently, and the CA might charge for additional names. You can submit a comma-separated list.	www.example.com, secure.example.com
   Email Address	(Optional) A contact email address for the certificate.	support@example.com
   Organization	The exact legal name of your organization. The CA might seek to confirm that your organization is real and legally registered, so don’t abbreviate words that aren’t abbreviated in the organization’s legal name.	Example Inc.
   Organizational Unit	(Optional) The branch of your organization that is making the request.	Marketing
   Locality (City)	The city where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the city name.	San Antonio
   State or Province Name	The state or province where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the state or province name.	Texas
   Country	Choose your country from the drop-down menu. The two-letter ISO abbreviation for your country is included in the CSR.	United States

   Note: The bit length is automatically set to 2048.

5. Click Create Ticket.

Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Keyboard

Next steps

Reference

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