Manual Let's Encrypt Certificate Guide

Manual Let's Encrypt Certificate Guide

This is a simple and short guide on aquiring Let's Encrypt certificates manually on Linux.

Step 1 - Download Certbot

Execute this command to install Certbot via command line.

For Ubuntu/Debian-based systems: sudo apt-get install certbot

For Arch-based systems: sudo pacman -S certbot

Step 2 - Execute Certbot

Execute this command to start up Certbot.

sudo certbot certonly --manual --preferred-challenges dns

Step 3 - Enter your Domains

Enter all of your domains/subdomains of one address and enter them with a space as a separator. (Maybe also save that string somewhere, you'll need it every time.)

Also accept any IP-tracking they want from you. Without that option it won't do it's thing.

Step 4 - Uploading/Updating the TXT-Records

One for one it'll ask you update the given TXT-records with a given value. Do exactly that and if that record does not exist yet, simply create one.

Be assured that you wait a moment to let the records update properly. Most errors I at least encounter at that stage are simply because of not waiting long enough to update the records.

Step 5 - Retrieving the Certificates

If everything is successful inside a generated folder, which Certbot will tell you in the end you'll find the necessary certificate and private key which you can now easily install, which will last you for three months. (I won't go into detail in there because that process can vary... But at least it's the same as working with other manual certificates.)