# configure OpenSSL to help gen certs for courier-imap [Solve]

## pcameron

Hi all, 

Im a noob and I was hoping I could get a little assistance. 

I currently in the middle of building an email server running gentoo. 

Im following the guide 

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/virt-mail-howto.xml

and all is going well. 

i was attempting to generate a cert for pop3 and imap authentication as im planning on eventually opening up the server to the world for both smtp and imap but i want secure authentication. 

I attempted to generate a cert, but it returned this error. 

whitehills courier-imap # mkpop3dcert

Generating a 512 bit RSA private key

.....++++++++++++

....++++++++++++

writing new private key to '/etc/courier-imap/pop3d.pem'

-----

unable to find 'distinguished_name' in config

problems making Certificate Request

3073574568:error:0E06D06C:configuration file routines:NCONF_get_string:no value:conf_lib.c:335:group=req name=distinguished_name

I found on 

http://www.openssl.org/support/faq.html

that I havnt configured openssl correctly (there is no config file currently setup), I have had a google around but im just not typing in the correct string or overlooking the page completely. 

Could someone link me a page (preferably on the noob side) which could assist me in getting openssl setup and running on my system.Last edited by pcameron on Tue Oct 11, 2011 6:46 am; edited 2 times in total

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## pcameron

ok, found the config file and the value its throwing back. 

distinguished_name      = req_distinguished_name

I assume the req is required. but what is a distinguished_name?

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## pcameron

Also what attributes would I pass?

attributes              = req_attributes

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## pcameron

Lol, 

i kept reading the config file and i think im seeing where im going wrong, will edit a few things and get back to u all. 

Theres an entire req section missing all the info which I just did on courier-imap. 

LOL

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## pcameron

Bump, figured it out.

https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=251047

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