2.4. Install the CA root certificate as a Trusted Root Certificate

First strip the certificate from all its text to keep only the -CERTIFICATE- section

openssl x509 -in cacert.pem -out cacert.crt

Place this file on your web site as http://mysite.com/ssl/cacert.crt. Your web server should have a mime entry for .crt files. Your certificate is ready to be downloaded by any browser and saved.

It is important to publish the root CA Certificate on a web site as it is unlikely that people will have it already loaded on their browser. Beware, somebody could fake your web site and fake your root CA Certificate. If you can have more than one way for users to get your certificate, it is unlikely that a hacker will be able to corrupt everything.

Microsoft proposes a windows update feature that will push approved root certificate to internet explorers out there. You can contact Microsoft to have your root certificate added in their database and maybe in their future releases.

2.4.1. In Netscape/Mozilla

Download the certificate from the web server or from the file system using Netscape. Netscape automatically recognises that it is a root certificate and will propose you to add it in its store. Follow the wizard to install the certifcate. At the end of the wizard you have to specify for which type of application you trust this certifcate: web site security, e-mail signing, or code signing.

2.4.2. In Galeon

Galeon works like Mozilla as it uses the same HTML rendering engine. However there is no Certificate management tool included in Galeon.

2.4.3. In Opera

FIXME

2.4.4. In Internet Explorer

With your browser, point to the address of the certificate and save the file on your disk. Double click on the file and the Certificate Installation wizard will start. Because the certificate is self signed, Internet explorer will automatically install it in the Trusted root Certificate Authority list. From now on, Internet Explorer won't complain and any Certificate signed with this root CA Certificate will be trusted too.

You can also open it from Internet explorer which will display the certificate. Click on the button Install Certificate to launch the Certificate Installation wizard.