Chapter 3

Running the Server

This brief reference describes


Starting the Server

Your ServerRoot directory contains the start script, which sets the appropriate SSL configuration options and runs the server. Always use start, and read the script carefully before you decide to build your own.

For secure transmissions, you must direct clients to the SSL part of Stronghold by using a URL that specifies the HTTPS protocol instead of HTTP, such as https://www.random.com/private.html.

Normally, the server will not start until you enter your pass phrase. In order to restart the server automatically--when the machine reboots unattended, for example--you need to store your unencrypted private key on disk. By default, Stronghold stores the key encrypted for higher security. In order to remove the encryption, use decrypt_key:

# decrypt_key hostname

If you want to change the passphrase for your encrypted key, use change_pass. This script decrypts your key and then re-encrypts it with a new passphrase:

# change_pass hostname
Note: The change_pass script re-encrypts the key. If you were storing the key unencrypted, run decrypt_key again after you change the passphrase.


Restarting the Server

The reload script lets you restart the Stronghold server in one step. You can also restart the server by running the stop and start scripts in sequence.

As with the start script, reload does not restart the server until you enter your pass phrase. In order to run reload unattended, you need to store your unencrypted private key on disk. To do so, use decrypt_key:

# decrypt_key hostname

If you want to change the pass phrase for your encrypted key, use change_pass to decrypt it and then re-encrypt with a new passphrase:

# change_pass hostname


Shutting Down the Server

To shut down the server, simply run the stop script. Always use stop, and read the script carefully before you create your own, specialized shutdown script.


Contents