Understanding the Basics of SSL Certificates
Before delving into how to convert certificate files, it’s essential to understand what SSL certificates are and what they do. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer, and it’s a protocol that establishes a secure connection between a server and a client. SSL certificates are digital certificates that verify the identity of a website and encrypt the data transmitted between the server and the client.
Different Types of SSL Certificates
There are several types of SSL certificates, each with its own use case. The most common types are Domain Validated (DV), Organization Validated (OV), and Extended Validation (EV) certificates. DV certificates are the most basic and only verify the domain’s ownership, while OV and EV certificates require additional documentation to verify the organization’s identity.
The Difference Between Cer and Pem Certificates
Cer and pem are two different file formats used for SSL certificates. Cer is a binary format, while pem is a base64-encoded format. Cer files are commonly used in Windows environments, while pem files are more commonly used in Unix/Linux environments.
SSL certificates are used to establish a secure connection between a server and a client. They verify the identity of a website and encrypt the data transmitted between the server and the client. There are different types of SSL certificates, including DV, OV, and EV certificates. Cer and pem are different file formats for SSL certificates, with cer being a binary format and pem being a base64-encoded format. To convert between cer and pem formats, the OpenSSL command-line tool is required. Other certificate formats include jks, pfx, der, p12, crt, and p7b files, which can be converted to pem using the OpenSSL tool.
Converting Cer to Pem
To convert a cer file to a pem file, you’ll need to use the OpenSSL command-line tool. The command for converting a cer file to a pem file is as follows:
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Converting Pem to Cer
To convert a pem file to a cer file, you’ll need to use the OpenSSL command-line tool. The command for converting a pem file to a cer file is as follows:
Other Certificate File Formats
In addition to cer and pem files, there are several other file formats used for SSL certificates, including jks, pfx, der, p12, crt, and p7b files.
Converting Other Certificate Formats
To convert other certificate formats to pem, you’ll first need to convert them to the der format using the OpenSSL command-line tool. Once you’ve converted the certificate to the der format, you can then convert it to pem using the command we previously discussed.
FAQs for Linux OpenSSL Convert Cer to PEM
What is OpenSSL?
OpenSSL is a popular open-source implementation of Secure Sockets Layer(SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. OpenSSL provides a range of functions, including encryption, decryption, digital certificates, hash functions, and many more.
What is CER format?
CER is a binary format for encoding digital certificates. This format is commonly used to store X.509 certificates, where X.509 is a widely accepted standard for public key infrastructure (PKI).
What is PEM format?
PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) is a file format used to store SSL/TLS digital certificates and private keys. PEM files can contain both public and private keys and are widely used by various applications, including Apache, Nginx, and others.
How can I convert CER to PEM format using OpenSSL?
To convert a CER file to a PEM file using OpenSSL, follow these steps:
- Open a command prompt and navigate to the directory where the CER file is located.
- Run the following command: openssl x509 -inform der -in certificate.cer -out certificate.pem
What does the above command do?
The above command converts a binary DER-encoded certificate (CER) to a base64-encoded text-based PEM format certificate.
Can I use OpenSSL to convert multiple CER files to PEM format at once?
Yes, you can use OpenSSL to convert multiple CER files to PEM format at once by running a for loop command. Here’s an example command: for i in *.cer; do openssl x509 -inform der -in $i -out $i.pem; done
This command will convert all the CER files in the current directory to PEM format, and the output file names will have the .pem extension appended.
What are the other file formats used by OpenSSL?
OpenSSL supports several file formats used for digital certificates and private keys, including DER, PKCS#12, PKCS#7, and PEM.
Is OpenSSL available for Windows?
Yes, OpenSSL is available for Windows in the form of pre-compiled binaries. You can download the latest version of OpenSSL from the official website and install it on your Windows system.