Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by John Bonner -
Number of replies: 8

(This posting comes as a result of a recent question and having done some research, I need to ask a new question)

I find that in Moodle 2, I need to have a secure ssl cert on my hosted domain. This is needed especially when logging in as a guest and entering a key. This seems to be very different to that system in Mooodle 1.9, where https is not needed as guests are "enrolled" in an easier way. Can this setting be restored as default in Moodle 2?

Anyway, having contacted my hosting company, they suggest asking if Moodle 2 allows one to specify a https or secure address to use, (in this format): https://secure1.reg365.net/website.com

If this is not possible, then I can purchase an SSL cert from them and would then have a Dedicated IP address. Just wonder about option 1 first before I buy a cert?

Any advice welcome.

John

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In reply to John Bonner

Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by Waldemar Basista -

hello

try startssl

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In reply to Waldemar Basista

Re: Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by John Bonner -

Thanks. I will look at this option to see it's what I need and report back.

John

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Re: Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by John Bonner -

Thanks, I looked at this option and I'm not sure if I did it correctly.

I got an SSL cert from them which is installed/recorded in my browser. This is Camino on a mac - which I now think was a bad choice as Camino is the Only browser which doesn't give an SSL cert error anyway when logging in as guest with password/key.

Anyway, I also made a backup of the file but it seems to be installed only on my browser. I did enter the overall domain name in the CPanel (as subdomains are not allowed in this free SSL service).

I may have added a password/encryption key but don't know what I was doing here or if it was necessary.

Anyway, the SSL cert doesn't seem to be installed or working on the server (probably because I didn't put it there or that's not how it works). I found the interface quite confusing for the novice.

It looks like I'll have to buy an SSL cert for the Domain if I can't figure out how to set this one up on the hosted server. I wish the instructions were clearer.

Many thanks and haven't given up on it yet.

John

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Re: Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by John Bonner -

Just an update. Since version 2.0.2 (latest), I no longer need to have an SSL cert as the "invalid certificate error" message no longer appears on Moodle 2 sites hosted on Zeus (or Litespeed) servers. I couldn't install the above cert via cpanel anyway.

John

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Re: Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by Sterling Uy -

I am using version 2.0.2 on a shared hosted site, like John, I asked the hosting company for their Shared SSL URL which they gave me.I

I modified my config.php "wwwroot" to include the Shared SSL URL but my whole site is now running in SSL.

I read somewhere in this forum that moodle runs slower under ssl is this true?

Also I prefer to only use shared SSL when needed rather than run it for the whole site.

Is there any way I could configure moodle so I could redirect all https request by moodle to include the Shared SSL URL (when HTTPS for login is enabled)? I read somewhere in this forum that the "moodle library" is the one that should be configured but I find it very complex.  I would appreciate it if someone could help me on this.

Thank you

Sterling

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Re: Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by John Bonner -

I'm just curious. What exactly did you type in "wwwroot" to use the shared ssl?

(Don't need the exact url, just the script change).

This is just in case I need to use the shared ssl cert in future.

 

John

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Re: Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by Sterling Uy -

Hi John, You need to edit the "$CFG -> wwwroot" in your config.php in your moodle folder.

'https://(SsslCertpath)/(moodlefolder)'

where:

SsslCertpath = the Shared SSL certificate path your host gave you

-  'yourhost.server.com/yourdomain'

moodlefolder = your moodle folder

- 'moodle20'

so you type:

'https://yourhost.server.com/yourdomain/moodle20'

I think I would not recommend this kind of setup since I don't think a Shared SSL is meant to be used like this, your host might eventually force you to get your own certificate. That is why I'm looking for a way where I could just edit the 'path' where https is needed when "https for Login" is activated in moodle that way I would only 'use' their certificate sparingly rather than have it for the whole site.

Also, owning your own certificate is better than using a shared one because the URL will always display your host's path rather than your own.

Hope this explains it.

 

Sterling

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Re: Odp: Can Moodle 2 use a shared SSL certificate?

by John Bonner -

Thank you very much for the information. I'm just curious to try it but assume and hope that  I won't have to use it.

John

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