Using a VM as a web development test server is a great way to optimize workstation resources. My test VM is an Ubuntu installation with a standard Apache/MySQL/PHP stack. I use VirtualBox shared folders to grant the VM access to my development directory. For some time I have been wrestling with an irritating bug that crops up when using shared folders with Apache: when a new file is created, and sometimes when existing files are modified, Apache fails to recognize the change.

It’s no secret–SSL is confusing. Creating and signing certificates is a convoluted process, especially from the command line. Fortunately, Debian-based systems have an easy way for Apache users to create, sign, and install their own SSL certs. This tutorial assumes that Apache is already installed with the default configuration. ### Configure SSL ### Step one is to configure Apache to enable `mod_ssl`: # a2enmod ssl Enabling module ssl. See /usr/share/doc/apache2.2-common/README.Debian.gz on how to configure SSL and create self-signed certificates.