Step 1: Install OpenSSL
- Download OpenSSL: OpenSSL is a tool used to create SSL certificates. You can download it from OpenSSL’s official website.
- Install OpenSSL: Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. Make sure to add OpenSSL to your system’s PATH during installation.
Step 2: Create a Self-Signed SSL Certificate
- Open Command Prompt: Press
Win + R
, typecmd
, and hit Enter to open the Command Prompt. - Navigate to OpenSSL Bin Directory: Use the
cd
command to navigate to the OpenSSL ‘bin’ directory. For example:cd C:\Program Files\OpenSSL-Win64\bin
- Generate Private Key: Run the following command to create a private key:
openssl genrsa -out localhost.key 2048
- Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR): Create a CSR using the private key:
openssl req -new -key localhost.key -out localhost.csr
You will be prompted to enter details like country, state, organization, etc. For ‘Common Name’, use ‘localhost’. - Generate Self-Signed Certificate: Use the CSR to create a self-signed certificate:
openssl x509 -req -days 365 -in localhost.csr -signkey localhost.key -out localhost.crt
Step 3: Configuring WAMP to Use the SSL Certificate
- Copy Certificate Files: Copy the
localhost.key
andlocalhost.crt
files to the Apache directory in WAMP (e.g.,C:\wamp64\bin\apache\apache2.4.41\conf
). - Edit Apache Configuration:
- Open the
httpd.conf
file located in the Apache directory. - Ensure that the SSL module is enabled (remove the
#
at the start of the line):LoadModule ssl_module modules/mod_ssl.so
- Add the following lines at the end of the file to configure SSL:
<VirtualHost *:443> DocumentRoot "c:/wamp64/www" ServerName localhost SSLEngine on SSLCertificateFile "conf/localhost.crt" SSLCertificateKeyFile "conf/localhost.key" </VirtualHost>
- Open the
- Restart WAMP: Restart WAMP to apply the changes.
Step 4: Accessing Your Site with HTTPS
- Open Your Browser: Navigate to
https://localhost
. You might see a security warning because the certificate is self-signed. Proceed to access your site.
Conclusion:
By following these steps, you’ve successfully created a self-signed SSL certificate and configured WAMP to use it. This setup will allow you to run WordPress and other applications over HTTPS on your local Windows machine, providing a more realistic environment for development and testing.