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Why does my Palm OS device not recognize my secure certificate as valid?

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Last Updated: July 8, 2009 11:03 AM

Here's the Lowdown: Palm devices cannot communicate with servers that have SSL certificates installed that use the new UTF-8 industry standard format.

The RFC industry standard requires that secure certificates be issued using the UTF-8 format.

The Palm Operating System is using the "printablestring" format that preceded the current UTF-8 industry standard.

NOTE: For more information about the printablestring format, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PrintableString.

If You Require a Printablestring Encoded Certificate for Your Palm Device

Our issuing system issues a printablestring encoded certificate if the CSR was already printablestring encoded. Therefore, you need to create your CSR with software that defaults to printablestring encoding.

Palm OS owners who need a certificate in printablestring formatting may be able to create the proper printablestring CSR for submission to our system and receive a printablestring certificate using OpenSSL.

To Create a CSR in Printablestring Format using OpenSSL

  1. Open OpenSSL
  2. From the Start menu, select Run.
  3. Type cmd and click OK.
  4. Type c: and press Enter.
  5. Type cd \openssl\bin and press Enter where "openssl" is the directory where you chose to install OpenSSL.
  6. Using the command prompt, generate a private key:
    1. Enter a passphrase when prompted to.
    2. Type:
      openssl genrsa -des3 -out <name of your certificate>.key 2048
  7. Using command prompt request a CSR:
    openssl req -new -key <name of your certificate>.key -out <name of your certificate>.csr
  8. Using command prompt check CSR format type (printablestring or UTF-8):
    openssl req -noout -subject -nameopt show_type,sep_multiline -in csr.csr
  9. The output will tell you if its printablestring or UTF-8

    Example:
    subject=
    C=PRINTABLESTRING:US
    ST=PRINTABLESTRING:AZ
    L=PRINTABLESTRING:Phoenix
    O=PRINTABLESTRING:testprintstring
    CN=PRINTABLESTRING:printablestring
    OR
    subject=
    C=UTF8STRING:US
    ST=UTF8STRING:AZ
    L= UTF8STRING:Phoenix
    O= UTF8STRING STRING:testprintstring
    CN= UTF8STRING STRING:printablestring
  10. If the output is printablestring, submit the CSR for signing.
  11. After receiving your certificate, save it into the same openssl/bin directory as your CSR and using command prompt you can check the certificate format using:
    openssl x509 -noout -subject -nameopt show_type,sep_multiline -in cert.crt

NOTE: If you need a .PFX file to install the printablestring formatted certificate onto a Windows server, you can use OpenSSL to convert the private key and certificate into a .PFX file.

Here are the OpenSSL docs for this process: http://www.openssl.org/docs/apps/pkcs12.html

TIP: We have provided re-key instructions with links to CSR Generation Instructions and our Installation Instructions in our Help Center.

NOTE: As a courtesy, we provide information about how to use certain third-party products, but we do not endorse or directly support third-party products and we are not responsible for the functions or reliability of such products.