httpd and ssl

[CoXeY]

Being a Microsoft bod this part of the forum is unfamiliar turf... but I'm hoping you guys can come up with an answer for me!

After installing a SSL certificate on our RedHat Enterprise server httpd requires a password to start. I was aware this would be the case when the certificate was first setup but now I'm seeking a way around this.

Can I configure httpd to start without prompting for a password? Or can the password be scripted in any way?


Thanks
Dan.

 

[E1mo]

Is this a password for the root certificate or for starting the server itself?

My gut feeling is that its very bad practice to store a plain text password on the system itself. If you get hacked there is a very high likelihood that someone could take over control of your certificate and use it for nefarious purposes.

I'm not 100% sure why you need to be starting/restarting the httpd server so frequently. The machine should easily be able to pull uptimes of over a year once its setup correctly.