Re: MySQL 5.5.8 SSL error: Unable to get private key from 'server-key.pem'

[Dave Kelly]

OK, I've found the problem. MySQL Server didn't like the header/footer lines in the PEM encoded key file.

Details: There is a slight (and trivial) difference between a PEM encoded private key file that is Generated by the 'openssl genrsa' command versus a PEM encoded private key file that is Extracted from an existing combined cert/key file with the 'openssl pkey' command. Qualification: the combined cert/key file was a PEM encoded file that was converted from a PFX format file issued by a Microsoft Certificate Services server.

The difference between the openssl Generated versus Extracted key file is simply in the text header and footer lines (see below).

'openssl genrsa' generated key output:
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
...
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

'openssl pkey' extracted key output:
-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----
...
-----END PRIVATE KEY-----

Note that the 'openssl genrsa' Generated key output includes ' RSA' in the text header and footer lines, whereas the 'openssl pkey' Extracted key output does not include ' RSA'.

Adding ' RSA' after BEGIN and END in the header and footer lines of the PEM encoded private key file solved the problem--MySQL Server now loads the private key and enables SSL.

Hard to believe that could be the source of so much trouble!