@squaredle/local-ssl-certs v1.0.1

Dev Certificates

Easy creation of local trusted SSL certificates for developers.

Quickstart

npx @squaredle/local-ssl-certs issue --name Acme dev-certs acme.test "*.acme.test"

Usage

1. Run:

   npx @squaredle/local-ssl-certs issue --name Acme dev-certs acme.test

2. Install the resulting CA certificates:

   • The root CA certificate (ending in .crt) must be installed in your Trusted Root Certification Authorities store.
     • By default, the root CA's private key is deleted after creation so it can't be used against you.
   • The intermediate CA (also ending in .crt) must be installed in your Intermediate Certification Authorities store.
     • This certificate can only be used to sign certificates for .test domain names, so it's relatively safe to keep the private key around.
     • Alternatively, you may delete the intermediate private key, but you'll need to reissue and reinstall the root and intermediate CA certificates to generate new certificates later.

   • Installation varies by OS:

     • Windows: Open the root and intermediate .crt files and install each in its appropriate store (see above).
     • Mac: Open the root and intermidate .crt files in Keychain Access and install them in the System keychain, set to "Always Trust".

     • Linux: Varies by distribution. For Ubuntu:

       sudo cp dev-certs/root-ca.crt /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/
       sudo update-ca-certificates

3. Configure your local web server to use the generated certificate and key:

   • For example, if you're using http-server:

     npx http-server -S -C dev-certs/your-local-domain.test.crt -K dev-certs/your-local-domain.test.key

   • Or in an Apache VirtualHost:

     SSLEngine on
     SSLCertificateFile /path/to/dev-certs/your-local-domain.test.crt
     SSLCertificateKeyFile /path/to/dev-certs/your-local-domain.test.key

4. Test the SSL certificate:

   • You may need to restart your browser or device for new CAs to take effect.
   • Open your browser and navigate to https://your-local-domain.test.
   • If everything is set up correctly, you should see a secure connection without any warnings.