Let's Encrypt SSL

Obtain and auto-renew free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt using Certbot.

Install Certbot

# Ubuntu with NGINX
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx

# Ubuntu with Apache
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-apache

# Or use snap (always latest version)
sudo snap install --classic certbot
sudo ln -s /snap/bin/certbot /usr/bin/certbot

Issue a Certificate

# NGINX, auto-configure HTTPS
sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com

# Apache, auto-configure HTTPS
sudo certbot --apache -d example.com -d www.example.com

# Standalone (no web server running)
sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d example.com

# Webroot (web server must be running)
sudo certbot certonly --webroot -w /var/www/html -d example.com

Wildcard Certificates

Wildcard certs (*.example.com) require DNS challenge. Requires DNS API access.

sudo certbot certonly --manual --preferred-challenges dns   -d "*.example.com" -d "example.com"

# Certbot will prompt you to add a TXT record:
# _acme-challenge.example.com  TXT  "VERIFICATION_VALUE"

Auto-Renewal

# Certbot installs a systemd timer automatically. Verify it's active:
sudo systemctl status certbot.timer

# Test renewal without actually renewing
sudo certbot renew --dry-run

# Force renewal
sudo certbot renew --force-renewal

Certificate File Locations

# Certificates are stored in:
/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/

# Key files:
cert.pem       # domain certificate
privkey.pem    # private key
chain.pem      # intermediate CA chain
fullchain.pem  # cert + chain (use this in most configs)

NGINX SSL Configuration

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name example.com;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem;
    ssl_protocols       TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
    ssl_ciphers         HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5;
}

FAQ

Is Let's Encrypt free?

Yes. It is a free, nonprofit certificate authority trusted by all major browsers.

How long do Let's Encrypt certificates last?

90 days. Certbot renews them automatically about 30 days before they expire; test with sudo certbot renew –dry-run.