This is the page of the MemberManual that describes how to generate a valid SSL cert.
Making a cert for use with Domtool
If you are creating an SSL certificate to use for a web virtual host via DomTool, then you need to create both a key file and a crt file. The crt file is called a "certifcate request", and you will want to specify that on the SSL form in the HCoop Portal.
To create a self-signed SSL cerificate in file.crt with key in file.key, do the following. DAYS indicates the number of days that you want the certificate to be valid. The certificate should be placed somewhere in your home directory, like "~/certs", for example.
openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout file.key -out file.crt -days DAYS -nodes
Here is an explanation of the parameters that you will be asked to provide. Replace yourdomain.org with your domain name.
Country/State/Locality: These are self-explanatory.
Organization Name: This can be anything you want. It is often the full name or description of your organization or website.
Organizational Unit: This can be anything you want. It can be left blank.
Common Name: This is the domain that goes with the certificate. It can be either a single name (i.e. "yourdomain.org"), or a wildcard domain (like "*.yourdomain.org"). The wildcard domain is used for sharing the same certificate in multiple subdomains of your domain.
Email Address: A valid email address. People often use ca@yourdomain.org.
These files should be readable only by you, the HCoop admins, and your ".daemon" alter ego, so be sure to set permissions properly on the directory where you store the certificate.
Making a self-signed .pem file
This is for reference, in case you want to make a cert for one of your own machines.
FILE is the filename of the certificate that will be generated: it should end in ".pem". DAYS indicates the number of days that you want the certificate to be valid.
openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout FILE -out FILE -days DAYS -nodes