Issues enabling https on RP 4

pablousavilla

Hi all,

I found myself working on my first Smart Mirror this week and I loved how easy it is to download new modules and have them running in no time.
I was interested in enabling https by creating the certificates and changing the variable under config.js:

useHttps: false -> useHttps: true

Nevertheless I only got a black screen afterwards.

I tried everything I could think of, but, being that Im not much of a programmer, it basically meant hitting the keyboard with one hand while having another coffee hoping that would do it.

Eventually, I managed to find out that I could connect to the https://localhost:port via a browser, which made me realise the keyboard-hitting works… and that it was running… just not with electron.

Well, tonight, after many an hour in front of this, I was able to get it to work, so I can narrow it down to the following:

Create your certificates correctly
Make sure you put the right address where they are located
Not enough coffee
There is a piece of code in electron.js that seems to be checking the wrong variable:

// if (config[“tls”] !== null && config[“tls”]) {
if (config.useHttps) {
prefix = “https://”;
} else {
prefix = “http://”;
}

The line in “//” was commented out by me. I couldnt find much of a reference to tls anywhere.

Finally, as the certificate is self signed, these lines had to be added also to electron.js:

app.on(‘certificate-error’, (event, webContents, url, error, certificate,
callback) => {
event.preventDefault();
callback(true);
});

I hope it helps someone else!

Thanks
Regards
JP