Ubuntu Linux

How to Install OpenSSL Ubuntu Manually for Latest Security

Written by

Richard

Sep 24, 2018 Updated Aug 16, 2026 4 min read

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Manual OpenSSL installation on Ubuntu lets you get the newest security tools and secret codes before your operating system updates them. OpenSSL is a free software library that keeps your internet connections secure and scrambles sensitive data so hackers cannot read it.

Ubuntu 22.04 and older versions often run older software that lacks crucial security patches for modern apps. Building the source code yourself gives you the exact features you need to keep your server or PC safe.

⚡ Quick Answer

Download the latest OpenSSL package from openssl.org, then compile and install it using `make` and `make install`. Update your system’s `manpath.config` and `/etc/environment` files to point to the new installation directory.

Download the OpenSSL Package

First, visit the official website to get the latest version. https://www.openssl.org/

Install OpenSSL Manually

To manually install OpenSSL on Ubuntu, you’ll start by downloading the source code files and then unpacking them on your computer. This process involves running a few commands in your terminal to get the files and set them up.

Run these commands in your terminal to download the source files:

⬛Command Prompt

cd /tmp
wget https://www.openssl.org/source/openssl-1.1.1.tar.gz
tar xvf openssl-1.1.1.tar.gz

Once that’s complete, run these commands to install the files:

⬛Command Prompt

cd openssl-1.1.1
sudo ./config -Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-rpath,'$(LIBRPATH)'
sudo make
sudo make install

Your new files are now stored in this folder:

💻Code

OpenSSL 1.1.1  11 Sep 2018
built on: Sun Sep 23 22:27:39 2018 UTC
platform: linux-x86_64
options:  bn(64,64) rc4(16x,int) des(int) idea(int) blowfish(ptr) 
compiler: gcc -fPIC -pthread -m64 -Wa,--noexecstack -Wall -O3 -DOPENSSL_USE_NODELETE -DL_ENDIAN -DOPENSSL_PIC -DOPENSSL_CPUID_OBJ -DOPENSSL_IA32_SSE2 -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_MONT -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_MONT5 -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_GF2m -DSHA1_ASM -DSHA256_ASM -DSHA512_ASM -DKECCAK1600_ASM -DRC4_ASM -DMD5_ASM -DAES_ASM -DVPAES_ASM -DBSAES_ASM -DGHASH_ASM -DECP_NISTZ256_ASM -DX25519_ASM -DPADLOCK_ASM -DPOLY1305_ASM -DNDEBUG
OPENSSLDIR: "/usr/local/ssl"
ENGINESDIR: "/usr/local/lib/engines-1.1"
Seeding source: os-specific

Update Your System Paths

Once OpenSSL is manually installed on Ubuntu, you must update your system's paths. This tells the system where to find the new version.

This is an important step to ensure your computer uses the OpenSSL you installed rather than the older system default.

💻Code

OpenSSL 1.1.0g  2 Nov 2017
built on: reproducible build, date unspecified
platform: debian-amd64
compiler: gcc -DDSO_DLFCN -DHAVE_DLFCN_H -DNDEBUG -DOPENSSL_THREADS -DOPENSSL_NO_STATIC_ENGINE -DOPENSSL_PIC -DOPENSSL_IA32_SSE2 -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_MONT -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_MONT5 -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_GF2m -DSHA1_ASM -DSHA256_ASM -DSHA512_ASM -DRC4_ASM -DMD5_ASM -DAES_ASM -DVPAES_ASM -DBSAES_ASM -DGHASH_ASM -DECP_NISTZ256_ASM -DPADLOCK_ASM -DPOLY1305_ASM -DOPENSSLDIR=""/usr/lib/ssl"" -DENGINESDIR=""/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/engines-1.1"" 
OPENSSLDIR: "/usr/lib/ssl"
ENGINESDIR: "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/engines-1.1"

1. Update the manual pages:

Edit the configuration file using this command:

🐧Bash / Shell

sudo nano /etc/manpath.config

Add this line to the file:

💻Code

MANPATH_MAP     /sbin                   /usr/share/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/sbin               /usr/share/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/local/bin          /usr/local/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/local/bin          /usr/local/share/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/local/sbin         /usr/local/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/local/sbin         /usr/local/share/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/X11R6/bin          /usr/X11R6/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/bin/X11            /usr/X11R6/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/games              /usr/share/man
MANPATH_MAP     /opt/bin                /opt/man
MANPATH_MAP     /opt/sbin               /opt/man
MANPATH_MAP     /usr/local/ssl/bin      /usr/local/ssl/man

Save and close the file, then update the database:

🐧Bash / Shell

sudo mandb

2. Update the execution path:

Open the environment configuration file:

🐧Bash / Shell

sudo nano /etc/environment

Add this line to the end of the file:

💻Code

PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/ssl/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games:/usr/local/games"

Save your changes and restart your computer. Your system should now recognize the new version of OpenSSL.

Some programs, like Apache or Nginx, may need to be rebuilt to recognize the new version.

Summary

OpenSSL is a toolkit that keeps your network communication secure.
Manual installation is necessary if you need the latest version not provided by Ubuntu's default updates.
The process involves downloading the files, installing them, and updating your system configuration files so your computer knows where to find the new software.

Summary Manual installation gives you access to the newest security patches before they land in standard repositories. Once you compile the source files and update your system paths, your applications will point directly to the new installation.

Where is OpenSSL installed in Ubuntu?

OpenSSL is probably the most well known cryptographic library, used by thousands of projects and applications. The OpenSSL configuration file is located at /etc/ssl/openssl.

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About the Author

Richard

Tech Writer, IT Professional

Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.

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0 Comments

rodrigo
Jan 9, 2019
ideally don’ t use `sudo config` or `sudo make`
also in config you can specify where the openssl library installs to by using
`–openssldir=/foo/bar` that way you should be able to skip all the workarounds for linking

Reply
- AK
  Sep 5, 2019
  “ideally don’ t use `sudo config` or `sudo make`”
  what do you use instead?
  
  Reply
Kiart P
Apr 18, 2019
how to make apache on ubunt 16.04 working with openssl 1.1.1, phpinfo() still show 1.0.2 version

Reply
Tartist
Jul 28, 2019
Thanks all i needed.

Reply
Priyanka
Aug 29, 2019
OpenSSL 1.1.1 11 Sep 2018
built on: Sun Sep 23 22:27:39 2018 UTC
platform: linux-x86_64
options: bn(64,64) rc4(16x,int) des(int) idea(int) blowfish(ptr)
compiler: gcc -fPIC -pthread -m64 -Wa,–noexecstack -Wall -O3 -DOPENSSL_USE_NODELETE -DL_ENDIAN -DOPENSSL_PIC -DOPENSSL_CPUID_OBJ -DOPENSSL_IA32_SSE2 -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_MONT -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_MONT5 -DOPENSSL_BN_ASM_GF2m -DSHA1_ASM -DSHA256_ASM -DSHA512_ASM -DKECCAK1600_ASM -DRC4_ASM -DMD5_ASM -DAES_ASM -DVPAES_ASM -DBSAES_ASM -DGHASH_ASM -DECP_NISTZ256_ASM -DX25519_ASM -DPADLOCK_ASM -DPOLY1305_ASM -DNDEBUG
OPENSSLDIR: “/usr/local/ssl”
ENGINESDIR: “/usr/local/lib/engines-1.1”
Seeding source: os-specific

how to get all this verbose information of the package, tried openssl version command didn’t get much help. Also how to point the path to the different path

Reply