Free SSL certificate from StartCom howto generate and install

This blog entry will show you how to generate a free 90-days SSL/HTTPS certificate for your website with StarCom certificate.

I decided to write a post about it since it was not straightforward at all and their website is badly designed and they have no instructions how to do it from A to Z.

Step 1 - Sign up

• Navigate to https://startssl.com/SignUp
• Fill up your country and email and click "Send verification code".
• Check your email box to retrieve the verification code, paste it and click "Sign up".
• Depending on your browser, it will either install the certification automatically in your browser or tell you it didn't install automatically and will download to your PC a .p7b file.
• If it installed automatically, click "Login now" and go directly to Step 3 of this blog post.
• If it did not install automatically, go to Step 2 in this blog.

Step 2 - Create a login

If the automated process failed you will need to use this special undocumented URL to access the options view:

https://startssl.com/OTPLogin

Step 3 - Validate your domain

Note : You should be on this screen

• Click on "Click here to choose your certificate" under the section you want. I presume you will choose the free one.
• Under the Validations Wizard tab enter your domain name and click "Continue". It will take a couple of seconds to process.
• Under the Certificates Wizard tab select "Web Server SSL/TLS Certificate" and click "Continue".

You can then install this ssl certificate in Virtualmin / Webmin control panel for your domain name.