CWP (Control Web Panel, formerly CentOS Web Panel) is a free and powerful hosting control panel used on CentOS, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux servers. In this guide, we explain step by step SSL certificate installation, CSR creation and Let's Encrypt configuration on CWP.
💡 Information: CWP supports Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed web servers. SSL configuration may differ depending on the web server you use.
1. Creating CSR
Via CWP Panel
- Login to CWP admin panel (https://server-ip:2031)
- From the left menu "WebServer Settings" → "SSL Certificates"
- Click on the "Generate CSR/Key" tab
- Fill in the information:
- Domain: example.com
- Country: TR
- State: Istanbul
- City: Istanbul
- Organization: Company name
- Key Size: 2048 bits
- Click the "Generate" button
- Copy CSR and Private Key
Generating CSR with SSH
# Creating CSR and Private Key
openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes \
-keyout /etc/pki/tls/private/example.com.key \
-out /etc/pki/tls/certs/example.com.csr\
-subj "/C=TR/ST=Istanbul/L=Istanbul/O=Company/CN=example.com"
# CSR verification
openssl req -text -noout -verify -in /etc/pki/tls/certs/example.com.csr2. Manual SSL Certificate Installation
- CWP admin → "SSL Certificates" → "Install SSL" tab
- Fill in the following fields:
- Certificate File (.crt): Certificate content
- Certificate Key File (.key): Private key
- Certificate Chain File (.ca-bundle): CA Bundle
- Select Domain
- Click the "Install" button
- Restart the web server
SSL Installation from Command Line
# Copying certificate files
cp example.com.crt /etc/pki/tls/certs/
cp example.com.key /etc/pki/tls/private/
cp ca-bundle.crt /etc/pki/tls/certs/
# Check Apache configuration
apachectl configtest
# Apache restart
systemctl restart httpd3. Free SSL with Let's Encrypt
- CWP admin → "WebServer Settings" → "AutoSSL"
- Switch to "Issue SSL" tab
- Enter the domain name (tick the options including/excluding www)
- Click the "AutoSSL" button
- The certificate will be installed automatically
⚠️ Note: Let's Encrypt certificates have a validity period of 90 days. Check out CWP's auto-refresh cron job:
crontab -l | grep ssl4. HTTPS Redirect
Via CWP Panel (Apache)
CWP offers automatic HTTPS redirection option in domain settings:
- "User Accounts" → Related account → "Manage"
- Enable the "Force HTTPS" option in the "SSL" tab
Manual Redirect with .htaccess
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]5. Common Errors and Solutions
| Error | Solution |
|---|---|
| AutoSSL failed | Make sure ports 80 and 443 are open on the firewall |
| SSL file permissions error | chmod 600 /etc/pki/tls/private/*.key |
| Nginx SSL configuration error | Nginx config test: nginx -t and systemctl restart nginx |
| Vhost configuration is corrupt | Rebuild virtual server configurations with CWP → Rebuild Vhosts |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which web servers does CWP support?
CWP; Supports Apache, Nginx, Nginx + Apache (reverse proxy) and LiteSpeed web servers. SSL configuration is automatically applied according to the web server you choose.
Can I install wildcard SSL in CWP?
Yes, you can install the paid wildcard SSL certificate manually. Let's Encrypt wildcard requires DNS verification and CWP has limited support for this.
📌 From DataSSL: We offer affordable SSL solutions for all domains in your CWP panel. Check out SSL certificates →
