# How to install lets encrypt via webhost

**URL:** <https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368>\
**Category:** Server\
**Created:** [January 6, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368 "2016-01-06T14:56:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/1 "2016-01-06T14:56:27Z")

</div>

Hello,

I just downloaded the let’s encrypt client ([https://github.com/letsencrypt/letsencrypt](https://github.com/letsencrypt/letsencrypt)).

I moved it to my webhost and the folder appears as letsencrypt-master.

The folder is under the home directory on my web host/server.

**I just tried this: [https://letsencrypt.readthedocs.org/en/latest/intro.html](https://letsencrypt.readthedocs.org/en/latest/intro.html)**  
code: ./letsencrypt-auto certonly --standalone --email [admin@thing.com](mailto:admin@thing.com) -d [thing.com](http://thing.com) -d [www.thing.com](http://www.thing.com) -d [otherthing.net](http://otherthing.net) (I replaced everything with our site).

and I am getting this error:  
updating letsencrypt and virtual environment dependencies…Command “python [setup.py](http://setup.py) egg\_info” failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip-build-Tqwq7A/cffi

Thanks.  
-Sky

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/2 "2016-01-06T15:27:19Z")

</div>

What version of python are you using ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/3 "2016-01-06T15:30:10Z")

</div>

Hello,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Where can I find the version of python that I am using? I do not see that option anywhere in cPanel.

I see Perl: 5.10.1

Thanks!  
-Sky

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/4 "2016-01-06T15:37:39Z")

</div>

normally I’d just say run “python --version” however if you don’t have ssh access that will be tricky.

If you are using cpanel, there isn’t yet ( I don’t think ) a really easy way to automate thing. I’m assuming you are also on a shared hosting system, so you don’t have root access ?

There are a number of[topics discussing cpanel](https://community.letsencrypt.org/search?q=cpanel) however most need server side access.

Can you say a little more about your configuration ?  
is it your server ( and access to WHM ) or do you just have a cpanel account on a server hosted by someone ?  
What version of cpanel are you using ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/5 "2016-01-06T15:53:46Z")

</div>

Hi Serverco,

Thanks for responding so quickly again!

I did not know the python --version trick. It worked! So here it is: **Python 2.6.6**

I used putty for the previous attempts so I am not using cPanel at all. I just thought I could find that information for the sever through cPanel. I did not know about the commands. I am a newbie. 😕

We do not have a dedicated server - we are on a shared host because it is so much cheaper.

Cpanel version: cPanel Version 11.52.2 (build 1)

Do you think I can still do this? If so, I would really need help. Thanks.

Thanks!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/6 "2016-01-06T16:09:50Z")

</div>

The easiest for now ( on a shared cpanel server) is probably a manual method. You would ideally need to upgrade python to 1.7 on your server to do things automatically. I don’t think it will be long before there is an automatic method, but not there yet.

I’d suggest using the web version at [https://gethttpsforfree.com/](https://gethttpsforfree.com/)

You can either generate the private key and CSR using putty ( there are details of how to on [https://gethttpsforfree.com/](https://gethttpsforfree.com/) ) or you can generate them in cpanel in the SSL/TLS Manager section.

You will be asked to create a file, with given contents, on your website to prove ownserhip, and then a certificate provided.

You can install the certificate in cpanel in the SSL/TLS Manager section.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/7 "2016-01-06T16:23:16Z")

</div>

Hi Serverco,

Thanks so much for that information!

I was able to do step 1 on the website that you provided.

However, I am having issues with step 2.

I was able to do the command: `openssl genrsa 4096 > domain.key` but I do not know what to do after that because there is no explanation on how to change foo to my site. Also, I tried looking for the file account.key in my list of files on the server- but I do not see it anywhere. I looked in etc and ssl.

Thanks!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/8 "2016-01-06T16:33:50Z")

</div>

in putty, you ran the command

> openssl genrsa 4096 \> account.key

which would have generated a private account key for you. If you then run (again in putty, in the same folder);

> openssl rsa -in account.key -pubout

it will print out the account key for you - that you can then paste into the box on the website ( [https://gethttpsforfree.com/](https://gethttpsforfree.com/) )

Did the first command give any errors or anything ? if not it should have created the file "account.key" for you. It should be in the folder where you ran the first command.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/9 "2016-01-06T16:43:21Z")

</div>

Hello,

I got step one done easy, peesy.

However, I am having issues with the following:

```
Generate a CSR for your the domains you want certs for:
(replace "foo.com" with your domain)
Linux:
#change "/etc/ssl/openssl.cnf" as needed:
# Debian: /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf
# RHEL and CentOS: /etc/pki/tls/openssl.cnf
# Mac OSX: /System/Library/OpenSSL/openssl.cnf
openssl req -new -sha256 -key domain.key -subj "/" \
  -reqexts SAN -config <(cat /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf \
  <(printf "[SAN]\nsubjectAltName=DNS:foo.com,DNS:www.foo.com"))
Copy and paste the CSR into the box below.

```

This does not make any sense to me. I open the domain.key and I see what I see in account.key but it is different text.

Also, I tried via cPanel and since I created it, it will bring up a page asking if you want to continue, so I do not want to do the cPanel method. 😐

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/10 "2016-01-06T16:55:22Z")

</div>

OK, so you have created an "account key" and a "domain key"

just replace "[foo.com](http://foo.com)" with your domain name in the command;

> openssl req -new -sha256 -key domain.key -subj "/" -reqexts SAN -config \<(cat /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf  
> \<(printf "[SAN]\nsubjectAltName=DNS:foo.com,DNS:www.foo.com"))

so if your domin was "[ilovemusic.net](http://ilovemusic.net)" then the command is;

> openssl req -new -sha256 -key domain.key -subj "/"   
> -reqexts SAN -config \<(cat /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf   
> \<(printf "[SAN]\nsubjectAltName=DNS:ilovemusic.net,DNS:www.ilovemusic.net"))

This should give you the CSR. If you want the certificate to be for more than "[yourdomain.com](http://yourdomain.com)" and "[www.yourdomain.com](http://www.yourdomain.com)" then let me know.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/11 "2016-01-06T17:12:57Z")

</div>

Hi Severco,

Thank you! I did that (along with DNS:ilovemusic.org,DNS:www.ilovemusic.org). We have .org and .com.

Did I do something wrong?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/12 "2016-01-06T17:14:15Z")

</div>

That sounds right. That should give you the CSR to upload.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/13 "2016-01-06T17:45:49Z")

</div>

Hello again,

I tried that and I got this error:  
cat: /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf: No such file or directory  
unable to find ‘distinguished\_name’ in config  
problems making Certificate Request  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:error:0E06D06C:configuration file routines:NCONF\_get\_string:no value:conf\_lib.c:335:group=req name=distinguished\_name

Thank you.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/14 "2016-01-06T18:09:25Z")

</div>

What were you doing / where did you get this message ?

Did you obtain a certificate and then got this error when installing ? or was this at one of the steps before when you were trying to obtain the certificate? if so, which step ? what have you completed and what was the exact command you were using that got the certificate ?

Ahh, OK, it was at the step of doing the command;

> openssl req -new -sha256 -key domain.key -subj "/"   
> -reqexts SAN -config \<(cat /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf   
> \<(printf "[SAN]\nsubjectAltName=DNS:ilovemusic.net,DNS:www.ilovemusic.net,DNS:ilovemusic.org,DNS:www.ilovemusic.org"))

is that correct ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/15 "2016-01-06T19:00:36Z")

</div>

Hi serverco,

that is correct. I got that message after I typed: `openssl req -new -sha256 -key domain.key -subj "/" \ -reqexts SAN -config <(cat /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf \ <(printf "[SAN]\nsubjectAltName=DNS:ilovemusic.net,DNS:www.ilovemusic.net,DNS:ilovemusic.org,DNS:www.ilovemusic.org"))`

So basically, this is what I did:  
`openssl genrsa 4096 > domain.key`  
then:  
`openssl req -new -sha256 -key domain.key -subj "/" \ -reqexts SAN -config <(cat /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf \ <(printf "[SAN]\nsubjectAltName=DNS:ilovemusic.net,DNS:www.ilovemusic.net,DNS:ilovemusic.org,DNS:www.ilovemusic.org"))`

then got the error.

I am not sure what to do.

Thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/16 "2016-01-06T19:03:11Z")

</div>

Do you have an openssl.cnf file on your system, in a different directory ? perhaps /etc/pki/tls/openssl.cnf that you can use instead ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/17 "2016-01-06T19:08:32Z")

</div>

I searched for it via cPanel and found one in the following directory:

`letsencrypt/examples`

I opened and saw this:  
[req]  
distinguished\_name = req\_distinguished\_name  
[req\_distinguished\_name]  
[san]  
subjectAltName=${ENV::SAN}

😕

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/18 "2016-01-06T19:19:27Z")

</div>

I’d suggest trying to use that one then, or copy it to /etc/ssl/ and then use the command as before

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@sky](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/sky)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/19 "2016-01-06T19:31:44Z")

</div>

I tried that and it did not work. 😕  
This is so difficult… it should not be. I even created the file and tried and no luck. 😕

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![serverco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/serverco/32/4251_2.png) [@serverco](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/serverco)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368/20 "2016-01-06T19:48:38Z")

</div>

The challenges are because you don’t have real full access to the server.

You can create the files you need in SSL/TLS Manager in cpanel though.

[Next page](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/how-to-install-lets-encrypt-via-webhost/8368.md?page=2)