How to Setup Wildcard SSL in Directadmin

Source: https://help.directadmin.com/item.php?id=2147

This guide above works for the most part, but below are some details for those who got lost in the process.

1 –

• Follow the guide and make sure all the flags are correct.
• By default a few of these do not even exist, you will have to add
• You can add using directadmin set or edit directadmin.conf directly
  • /usr/local/directadmin/conf/directadmin.conf

The documentation forgot to tell you this. You also need to set this in the same config file (Source: https://www.directadmin.com/features.php?id=2122)

dns_ttl=1

• If you do not do this step, the subdomains may not use the wildcard ssl even after it is made.
  • Took me hours to debug this. I suspect it may be because my server was older before the default was set to dns_ttl=1
• restart the server

cd /usr/local/directadmin
service directadmin restart

2- Ignore this. This is telling you how to turn it off

3 – For some reason, I actually can’t find this option. I think it is renamed as “Use the best match certificate” but they did not update documentation.

4 –

• Now to test if this works, create a new account with the root domain
• According to #5 – the SSL creation should be automatic by default
• If you then create a subdomain (new account, or same account), then it will start using the wildcart cert

5 – Verify this

• Go to the URL with root domain on your browser https://[rootdomain]
  • First of all, you should get the lock on your address bar. If not, it means this did not work
  • Look into cert details, you will see a cert is issued to the root domain
  • Details: Subject alternative name you will see a wildcard path *.[rootdomain] – this means the wildcard cert is set
• Then go to the URL with the subdomain on your browser https://subdomain.[rootdomain]
  • First of all, you should get the lock on your address bar. If not, it means this did not work
  • If setup properly, any subdomain will use the wildcard cert so when you create new account ssl should work right away
  • Look at your cert details, it will show same above
• If root works with wildcard, but subdomains have ssl error / not using the wild card, see #1
  • need to set dns_ttl=1

Notes

For Step 4, if the account was already there before you change the settings in Step 1, just force a reset

• Login as that [rootdomain] account
• Click SSL Certificates
• If this domain’s SSL is not enable, please do so first by selecting this “Use the best match certificate”, save
  • Do not select “Free & automatic cert from Let’s encrypt” or it will not work (The next step, the Automated SSL won’t show up)
• Bottom of page is a new section “Automated SSL Certificates Information”
  • note that this is new – you would not have seen this before you change the options in step 1
• Certificates tab, check the domain
  • If no domain showing, go to “Manual Trigger” tab
    • make sure wildcard option is selected
• Click Retry
• Make sure your DNS is set correctly, etc. Because if there is problems it will not tell you on the UI, unfortunately
  • Also even if it works it takes 5-10  minutes so give some patience