How to Install Apache mod_ssl module on CentOS

mod_ssl is an optional Apache Module which provides SSL and TLS support for the Apache Web Server. The mod_ssl package was created in April 1998 by Ralf S. Engelschall and was originally derived from software developed by Ben Laurie.

In this article I will show you how to install Apache mod_ssl on CentOS.

Install Apache mod_ssl Module

First of all check the mod_ssl installed and enabled on your server using below command.

# apachectl -M
Loaded Modules:
 core_module (static)
 mpm_prefork_module (static)
 http_module (static)
 so_module (static)
 auth_basic_module (shared)
 auth_digest_module (shared)
 authn_file_module (shared)
 authn_alias_module (shared)
 authn_anon_module (shared)
 authn_dbm_module (shared)
 authn_default_module (shared)
 authz_host_module (shared)
 authz_user_module (shared)
 authz_owner_module (shared)
 authz_groupfile_module (shared)
 authz_dbm_module (shared)
 authz_default_module (shared)
 ldap_module (shared)
 authnz_ldap_module (shared)
 include_module (shared)
 log_config_module (shared)
 logio_module (shared)
 env_module (shared)
 ext_filter_module (shared)
 mime_magic_module (shared)
 expires_module (shared)
 deflate_module (shared)
 headers_module (shared)
 usertrack_module (shared)
 setenvif_module (shared)
 mime_module (shared)
 dav_module (shared)
 status_module (shared)
 autoindex_module (shared)
 info_module (shared)
 dav_fs_module (shared)
 vhost_alias_module (shared)
 negotiation_module (shared)
 dir_module (shared)
 actions_module (shared)
 speling_module (shared)
 userdir_module (shared)
 alias_module (shared)
 substitute_module (shared)
 rewrite_module (shared)
 proxy_module (shared)
 proxy_balancer_module (shared)
 proxy_ftp_module (shared)
 proxy_http_module (shared)
 proxy_ajp_module (shared)
 proxy_connect_module (shared)
 cache_module (shared)
 suexec_module (shared)
 disk_cache_module (shared)
 cgi_module (shared)
 version_module (shared)
 fcgid_module (shared)
 php5_module (shared)
 ssl_module (shared)
Syntax OK

As you can see ssl_module (shared) is installed on enabled on your server if you did not get ssl_module (shared) in output means it is not enabled or installed on your server.

Follow the below command to install mod_ssl module.

# yum install mod_ssl

Configure Apache mod_ssl mime_module

After installing mod_ssl on you server now configure it.

Edit the mod_ssl Apache configuration file located at /etc/httpd/conf.d/ssl.conf.

Now enable name based virtual hosting on port 443. For this add following line just before the SSL Virtual Host Context comment.

NameVirtualHost *:443

Disable the Default HTTPS Host

If you want to disable HTTPS host just comment out all the line following the SSL Virtual Host Context comment like below:

#NameVirtualHost *:443

Next restart Apache service.

# service httpd restart