Mac® Security Bible

27.2. Creating a Self-Signed Certificate

If a self-signed SSL certificate is adequate for your needs, you can create and install one easily.

To create a self-signed certificate, follow these steps:

1. Open Server Admin, which is located in /Applications/Server.

2. In the sidebar on the left, select your server.

3. If no services are listed under the server name, click the disclosure triangle next to the server name to reveal them.

4. If the service names are dimmed, choose Server Connect, type your username and password if they're not already filled in, and then click Connect. The list of services refreshes, and those currently running appear with a green dot next to them.

5. Click the Certificates button on the toolbar.

6. Just below the list of certificates, click the Add (+) button and then choose Create a Certificate Identity from the pop-up menu, as shown in Figure 27.1. Certificate Assistant opens.

   Figure 27.1. To begin the process of creating a self-signed certificate, choose Create a Certificate Identity from this rather obscure pop-up menu.

   

7. On the first screen of Certificate Assistant, shown in Figure 27.2, type a name for your certificate (your choice), choose Self Signed Root from the Identity Type (or, in Leopard, Type) pop-up menu, and then choose SSL Server from the Certificate Type pop-up ...