UniFi OS Server SSL Import Script

A script to automatically import and update SSL certificates for your UniFi OS server (uosserver) from multiple certificate providers. The script supports both Let's Encrypt via Certbot and acme.sh, with DNS challenge support for all out-of-the-box DNS providers. The script stops the UniFi controller, replaces its TLS key and certificate files with the latest certs, sets correct permissions, and then restarts the controller — ensuring your UniFi server always has a valid SSL certificate.

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Features

• Multiple Certificate Providers: Support for both Certbot and acme.sh
• DNS Challenge Support: Works with Cloudflare and all supported acme.sh DNS providers
• Smart Updates: Automatically detects if the certificate changed and updates only if needed
• Command Line Options:
  • --force to reinstall certificate even if unchanged
  • --verbose for detailed logs and command output
  • --provider=certbot|acme to specify certificate provider
  • --dns=cloudflare to specify DNS provider (for acme.sh)
• Safety Features: Creates backups of existing key and cert files before updating
• Comprehensive Logging: Logs actions to /var/log/unifi-ssl-import.log
• Graceful Operation: Clean stop/start of the UniFi controller

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Prerequisites

Choose one of the following certificate providers:

Option 1: Certbot with Let's Encrypt

Install Certbot and DNS plugins

Make sure you run with root privileges:

apt update
apt install letsencrypt -y
# For Cloudflare
apt install python3-certbot-dns-cloudflare -y

Create a Cloudflare credentials file

mkdir -p /root/.secrets/
touch /root/.secrets/cloudflare.ini
nano /root/.secrets/cloudflare.ini

Add the following content (replace with your actual token): Make sure the Cloudflare token includes DNS Rights

dns_cloudflare_api_token = your_token_here

Set proper permissions:

chmod 0700 /root/.secrets/
chmod 0400 /root/.secrets/cloudflare.ini

Request a certificate with Certbot

Replace your.domain.com with your actual domain:

certbot certonly --key-type rsa --rsa-key-size 4096 --dns-cloudflare --dns-cloudflare-credentials /root/.secrets/cloudflare.ini -d your.domain.com --preferred-challenges dns-01

Option 2: acme.sh with DNS Challenge

Install acme.sh

curl https://get.acme.sh | sh -s email=my@example.com
source ~/.bashrc

Configure DNS Provider

Example 1: Cloudflare:

export CF_Token="your_cloudflare_api_token"
export CF_Account_ID="your_account_id"

Example 2: Hetzner DNS:

export HETZNER_Token="your_hetzner_dns_api_token"

Request a certificate with acme.sh

Replace your.domain.com with your actual domain:

Example 1: Cloudflare:

acme.sh --issue --dns dns_cf -d your.domain.com --keylength 4096

Example 2: Hetzner DNS:

acme.sh --issue --dns dns_hetzner -d your.domain.com --keylength 4096

Important: UniFi OS Server only supports RSA certificates, so always use --keylength 2048 (or higher RSA key lengths) with acme.sh. ECC certificates are not supported.

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Install the Import Script

Download the script:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MiranoVerhoef/UniFi-OS-Server-SSL-Import/refs/heads/main/unifi-osserver-ssl-import -O /usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh

Make it executable:

chmod +x /usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh

Set your UniFi domain name in the script:

nano -w /usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh

Look for and modify the following configuration variables:

# Domain Name:
UNIFI_HOSTNAME="unifi.example.com"

# Certificate Provider: "certbot" or "acme"
CERT_PROVIDER="certbot"

# DNS Provider (for acme.sh): "cloudflare", "hetzner", etc.
DNS_PROVIDER="cloudflare"

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Running the Script

Basic Usage

Run the script manually (uses configuration from script file):

/usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh

Command Line Options

You can override the configuration using command line arguments:

# Use certbot with Cloudflare (default)
/usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --provider=certbot

# Use acme.sh with Hetzner DNS
/usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --provider=acme --dns=hetzner

# Use acme.sh with Cloudflare DNS
/usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --provider=acme --dns=cloudflare

# Force certificate reinstallation
/usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --force

# Verbose output for troubleshooting
/usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --verbose

# Combine multiple options
/usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --provider=acme --dns=hetzner --verbose --force

Available Options:

• --provider=certbot|acme – Specify certificate provider
• --dns=cloudflare|hetzner – Specify DNS provider (for acme.sh only)
• --verbose – Show detailed output of what the script is doing
• --force – Force reimport of certificate even if it hasn't changed

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To check logging:

tail -f /home/uosserver/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes/uosserver_data/_data/unifi-core/logs/http.log

Example Crontab for Automation

Open crontab:

nano -w /etc/crontab

For Certbot users:

Add the following lines to renew your certificate and update the UniFi server automatically twice a day:

0 */12 * * * root letsencrypt renew >> /home/renew_log.txt 2>&1
5 */12 * * * root /usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --provider=certbot >> /home/import_log.txt 2>&1

For acme.sh users:

acme.sh automatically installs its own cron job for renewal. You only need to add the import script:

# Check for certificate updates twice a day
5 */12 * * * root /usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh --provider=acme --dns=hetzner >> /home/import_log.txt 2>&1

Provider-agnostic approach:

You can also set the provider in the script configuration and use:

5 */12 * * * root /usr/local/bin/unifi-osserver-ssl-import.sh >> /home/import_log.txt 2>&1

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License

MIT

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Author

Mirano Verhoef

Contributor

Martin Seener