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Let's Encrypt Setup for FileWave Server (Debian)

What

This Knowledge Base (KB) article covers a Debian-focused shell script that automates Let's Encrypt SSL certificate setup for a FileWave server on Debian 12/13.

The script supports two challenge methods:

  • HTTP-01 (standalone certbot)
  • DNS-01 (Cloudflare)

Both paths handle certificate request, FileWave certificate injection, and renewal automation.

When/Why

FileWave administrators use this when they need a trusted SSL certificate for secure communication.

  • Use HTTP-01 when port 80 can be reached from the internet.
  • Use DNS-01 (Cloudflare) when port 80 is blocked/unavailable or you prefer DNS validation.

This documented process is for Debian 12/13. If you are a Hosted customer, FileWave can handle certificate management for you: SSL Certificate Management for Custom Domains (FileWave-Hosted Servers).

How

Prerequisites

  • FileWave server on Debian 12 or 13
  • Root/sudo access
  • Public DNS name (FQDN) for the FileWave server
  • If using DNS validation: Cloudflare API token with DNS edit permissions for the zone

Challenge method guidance

  • HTTP-01: requires inbound TCP/80 reachability for Let's Encrypt validation.
  • DNS-01 (Cloudflare): does not require inbound TCP/80.

If TCP/80 is not available, select DNS-01 (Cloudflare) during install.

Install steps

  1. Download the script with wget:

    wget -O filewave-letsencrypt-debian.sh https://kb.filewave.com/attachments/413

  2. Make it executable:

    chmod +x filewave-letsencrypt-debian.sh

  3. Run install:

    sudo ./filewave-letsencrypt-debian.sh --install

  4. Follow prompts for:

    • Hostname (FQDN)
    • Email
    • Validation method:
      • 1 = HTTP-01
      • 2 = DNS-01 (Cloudflare)
    • If DNS-01 is selected: Cloudflare API token

  5. Confirm values when prompted.

  6. Verify output for success messages and final summary.

What the script does

  • Validates Debian and root execution
  • Validates that FileWave server paths exist (/usr/local/bin/fwcontrol, /usr/local/filewave/certs)
  • Validates hostname and email
  • Validates DNS resolution (tries 8.8.8.8, then system resolver fallback)
  • Backs up existing certs under /usr/local/filewave/certs/backup-<timestamp>/
  • Installs/validates certbot
  • Requests a new certificate using selected challenge method
  • For DNS-01 (Cloudflare): creates /etc/letsencrypt/secrets/cloudflare.ini automatically (no manual pre-creation required)
  • Updates FileWave mdm_cert_trusted DB flag
  • Creates renewal deploy hook:
    • /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/filewave-server-cert.sh
  • Preserves existing cert file owner/group when replacing certificates
  • Creates daily renewal cron:
    • /etc/cron.daily/letsencrypt-filewave
  • Immediately injects cert into FileWave and restarts server services

Uninstall

To remove integration files created by the script:

sudo ./filewave-letsencrypt-debian.sh --uninstall

This removes FileWave renewal hook + cron job and (if present) Cloudflare credentials file. The script intentionally leaves certbot installed.

Troubleshooting

1) FileWave server prerequisites failed

If script reports missing FileWave binaries/paths:

  • Verify /usr/local/bin/fwcontrol exists.
  • Verify /usr/local/filewave/certs exists.
  • Re-run on the FileWave server host.

2) Certificate request failed (HTTP-01)

Ensure inbound TCP/80 is reachable, then retry:

sudo certbot -n --agree-tos --standalone certonly -d "<FQDN>" -m "<EMAIL>"
sudo certbot renew --force-renewal

3) Certificate request failed (DNS-01 Cloudflare)

Ensure token permissions and retry:

sudo certbot -n --agree-tos --dns-cloudflare --dns-cloudflare-credentials /etc/letsencrypt/secrets/cloudflare.ini certonly -d "<FQDN>" -m "<EMAIL>"
sudo certbot renew --force-renewal

4) FileWave UI shows old certificate behavior

If older behavior persists, verify mdm_cert_trusted is set in PostgreSQL:

image.png

/usr/local/filewave/postgresql/bin/psql -d mdm -U django

insert into ios_preferences values('mdm_cert_trusted', TRUE) on conflict (key) do nothing;

update ios_preferences set value='true' where key='mdm_cert_trusted';

\q

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