SSL Certificate Location on UNIX/Linux | Better Stack Community (2024)

Better Stack Team

Updated on November 9, 2023

In UNIX/Linux systems, SSL certificate files are often stored in specific directories. The exact location can vary based on the distribution and configuration.

Commonly, SSL certificates on UNIX/Linux systems are stored in the /etc/ssl/ directory or its subdirectories. However, this may differ based on the purpose or service using the SSL certificates. Here are the typical locations:

Certificate Authority (CA) Certificates:
- Root CA certificates are typically stored in: /etc/ssl/certs/
- Intermediate CA certificates may also be stored here or in a specific subdirectory.
Server Certificates and Keys:
- Server SSL certificates and private keys are usually stored in: /etc/ssl/private/
- The SSL certificate file might be in the same directory as the private key.

It's important to note that the directory structure can vary depending on the software, service, or package used on the system. Some services might have their specific locations for SSL certificates and private keys. For instance, web servers like Apache or Nginx may have configurations pointing to custom locations.

To find the SSL certificate locations, you can check the configurations of the service that uses SSL certificates. For example, in Apache, the SSL configuration file might specify the SSLCertificateFile and SSLCertificateKeyFile directives, which define the paths for the certificate and key files.

Additionally, using commands like find or locate can help search for SSL certificates. For instance:

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sudo find /etc/ssl -name "*.crt" -o -name "*.pem"

This command searches for files with the .crt or .pem extension within the /etc/ssl directory and its subdirectories.

Keep in mind that proper permissions and access control should be maintained for SSL certificate files, especially for private keys, to ensure security.

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FAQs

SSL Certificate Location on UNIX/Linux | Better Stack Community? ›

In UNIX/Linux systems, SSL certificate files are often stored in specific directories. The exact location can vary based on the distribution and configuration. Commonly, SSL certificates on UNIX/Linux systems are stored in the /etc/ssl/ directory or its subdirectories.

Read On ›

Where are SSL certificates stored in Unix? ›

The default location to install certificates is /etc/ssl/certs . This enables multiple services to use the same certificate without overly complicated file permissions. For applications that can be configured to use a CA certificate, you should also copy the /etc/ssl/certs/cacert.

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Where is an SSL certificate stored? ›

Operating systems. Finding where certificates are stored on your computer is relatively straightforward. If you want to find the SSL/TLS certificates on your Windows computer, access the Windows Certificate Store.

How to check SSL certificate in Unix server? ›

In the command line, enter openssl s_client -connect <hostname> : <port> . This opens an SSL connection to the specified hostname and port and prints the SSL certificate. Check the availability of the domain from the connection results.

See Details ›

How to check truststore certificates in Linux? ›

To check the truststore for certificates

From the command prompt or shell window, change your working directory to. ...
Add the bin directory to the PATH environment variable: ...
After the PATH variable is set, execute the following keytool command to place the contents into a certs.txt file: ...
Check the certs.

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Apr 23, 2014

Find Out More ›

How do I find my SSL certificate path? ›

How Do You Know If You Have An SSL Certificate?

You can view all the certificates stored in your computer on the left pane and expand the directory to get more detailed information on a certificate.
For certificates accessible to the current user, launch the Certificate Manager Tool by typing in certmgr.

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Where is SSL conf located in Linux? ›

conf or ssl. conf and may be located at /etc/httpd/, /etc/apache2/ or /etc/httpd/conf. d/ssl.

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How to list SSL certificates in Linux? ›

Certificate Store

Indeed, ls and its [-l]ong list format shows us the /usr/lib/ssl/certs subdirectory. However, /usr/lib/ssl/certs is a link to /etc/ssl/certs. Also, we see the ca-certificates. crt file, where all the certificate authority certificates are stored.

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Where can I see SSL certificate? ›

To view the SSL Information:

Go to an SSL-enabled website.
Click on the padlock icon next to website's URL in the address bar.
In the pop-up window, click on Connection is secure.
Click Certificate is valid.
The Certificate Viewer will appear on the pop-up window, displaying the following information:

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How to find keystore path in Linux? ›

Note: The keytool can be found in the bin directory where JAVA_HOME is your JDK Installation directory: $ export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH $ keytool ... By default the keytool will generate a keystore in the user's home directory (Linux/macOS: $HOME/. keystore , Windows: $env:USERPROFILE/.

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How to trust an SSL certificate on Linux? ›

To manually cause a self-signed certificate to be trusted by a browser on a Linux system:

Create a /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/ directory if it does not exist on your computer: mkdir /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/
Copy your root certificate (.crt file) to the created directory: ...
Update the certificates:

Read The Full Story ›

How to check SSL certificate on server? ›

Chrome has streamlined the process for users to access a website's certificate details in just a few steps:

Select the padlock icon located in the address bar of the website.
In the pop-up window, choose "Certificate (Valid)."
Review the "Valid from" dates to ensure the SSL certificate is up-to-date.

See Details ›

Where is the default location of the Truststore? ›

Java has bundled a truststore called cacerts. For Java versions before 9, it resides in the $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security directory, and for Java versions after 8, it's in $JAVA_HOME/lib/security.

Get More Info Here ›

Where is the SSL store located? ›

Headquartered in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida, we have 80+ people working on website security solutions just for you in our offices across four continents!

Where is SSL private key stored in Linux? ›

SSL Certificates: The SSL certificates, including the public key and any intermediate certificates, are usually stored in a directory such as /etc/ssl/certs/ . Private Keys: The private keys associated with the SSL certificates are stored in a directory such as /etc/ssl/private/ .

Where are the PEM files in Linux? ›

On Linux systems, the . pem files are located in these directories: For Let's Encrypt extension - /usr/local/psa/var/modules/letsencrypt/etc/archive/example.com/ . For SSL It!

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