Whoa! Installing SSL Cert Blew Up Apache

Type the following command to generate a private key that is file encrypted. You will be prompted for the password to access the file and also when starting your webserver: Warning: If you lose or forget the passphrase, you must purchase another certificate.
openssl genrsa -des3 -out domainname.key 1024

You could also create a private key without file encryption:

openssl genrsa -out domainname.key 1024

Note: We recommend that you name the private key using the domain name that you are purchasing the certificate for ie domainname.key