# SSL Certificate Fix Summary

## Problem
AutoSSL validation was failing because Apache proxy was intercepting requests to `/.well-known/acme-challenge/` before they could be served for SSL validation, resulting in 404 errors.

**Error Messages:**
- DNS DCV: No local authority
- HTTP DCV: 404 (Not Found) when querying `/.well-known/acme-challenge/` files

## Solution Implemented

### 1. Updated Apache Configuration
Modified both SSL and standard Apache configs to:
- Serve `.well-known/acme-challenge/` files directly from the document root
- Exclude `.well-known` from proxy rules using `ProxyPass /.well-known !`
- Allow Apache to handle ACME challenge validation files before proxying to the backend

**Files Modified:**
- `/etc/apache2/conf.d/userdata/ssl/2_4/aibitsofts/sol.aibitsoft.cloud/backend-api.conf`
- `/etc/apache2/conf.d/userdata/std/2_4/aibitsofts/sol.aibitsoft.cloud/backend-api.conf`

### 2. Verified Directory Permissions
- Confirmed `/home/aibitsofts/public_html/sol.aibitsoft.cloud/.well-known/acme-challenge/` exists
- Set proper permissions (755 for directory, 644 for files)
- Directory is owned by `aibitsofts:aibitsofts`

### 3. Testing Results
✅ `.well-known/acme-challenge/` is now accessible via HTTP
✅ Both `sol.aibitsoft.cloud` and `www.sol.aibitsoft.cloud` can serve ACME challenge files
✅ API endpoints still working correctly (not affected by changes)
✅ Non-existent files correctly return 404

## Next Steps

### To Complete SSL Certificate Installation:

1. **Trigger AutoSSL manually in cPanel:**
   - Log into cPanel
   - Go to **SSL/TLS Status** or **AutoSSL**
   - Click **Run AutoSSL** for `sol.aibitsoft.cloud` and `www.sol.aibitsoft.cloud`
   - Or wait for AutoSSL to run automatically (usually runs daily)

2. **Verify the fix is working:**
   ```bash
   # Test ACME challenge accessibility
   curl -I http://sol.aibitsoft.cloud/.well-known/acme-challenge/test-file
   # Should return: HTTP/1.1 200 OK
   
   curl -I http://www.sol.aibitsoft.cloud/.well-known/acme-challenge/test-file
   # Should return: HTTP/1.1 200 OK
   ```

3. **After AutoSSL runs successfully:**
   - SSL certificate should be issued automatically
   - HTTPS will be enabled for both domains
   - The "Self-signed" warning will disappear

## Configuration Details

### Apache Proxy Configuration (Current)
```apache
# Allow Let's Encrypt / AutoSSL validation files to be served directly
Alias /.well-known/acme-challenge /home/aibitsofts/public_html/sol.aibitsoft.cloud/.well-known/acme-challenge
<Directory "/home/aibitsofts/public_html/sol.aibitsoft.cloud/.well-known/acme-challenge">
    AllowOverride None
    Options None
    Require all granted
</Directory>

ProxyPreserveHost On
ProxyRequests Off

# Exclude .well-known from proxy to allow SSL validation
ProxyPass /.well-known !
# Proxy API endpoints
ProxyPass /api http://127.0.0.1:4002/api
ProxyPassReverse /api http://127.0.0.1:4002/api
# Proxy all other requests
ProxyPass / http://127.0.0.1:4002/
ProxyPassReverse / http://127.0.0.1:4002/
```

### Directory Structure
```
/home/aibitsofts/public_html/sol.aibitsoft.cloud/
└── .well-known/
    └── acme-challenge/
        └── (AutoSSL will create files here automatically)
```

## Notes

- The `ProxyPass /.well-known !` directive tells Apache to NOT proxy requests to `/.well-known/*`, allowing Apache to serve these files directly
- This change does NOT affect the backend API functionality - all API endpoints continue to work as before
- AutoSSL will automatically create validation files in the `.well-known/acme-challenge/` directory when it runs
- The configuration works for both `sol.aibitsoft.cloud` and `www.sol.aibitsoft.cloud`

## Verification Commands

```bash
# Test ACME challenge file access
curl -I http://sol.aibitsoft.cloud/.well-known/acme-challenge/test-file

# Test API still works
curl -I http://sol.aibitsoft.cloud/api

# Test HTTPS after certificate is installed
curl -I https://sol.aibitsoft.cloud/api
```

---

**Fix Applied:** January 17, 2026  
**Status:** ✅ Configuration Updated - Ready for AutoSSL  
**Backend Status:** ✅ API endpoints working correctly

