I am a perl programmer, but do not quite grasp what needs to be done
to set up SSL sockets.  I am trying to set up a server to receive
incoming TCP requests on a port & respond to them.  I have it set up
right now using IO::sockets::INET, but want to add encryption so
sensitive data may be passed back and forth.

my questions are:

1.  I have looked into certificates, and I see self-signed and ones
from verisign, etc.  do I *need* one from verisign, etc, or can I use
a self-signed?  is there a difference?  I'm not trying to set up
https.  I have actually set up a self-signed cert based on what I read
here:  http://www.modssl.org/docs/2.8/ssl_faq.html#ToC24   I *think* I
did it corrently, but there are so many variables at work here that I
can't tell if it's 'working'

2.  I need to know how to correctly us IO:SOCKET::SSL  with my
certificate.  I can't create the socket.  I read that IO::SOCKET::SSL
is a drop in replacement for IO:SOCKET::INET, but when i replaced it,
it didn't function (I think I need to make reference tothe cert or
something, can't find good docs on this).  I need to make my script
work with my cert (or new cert if I have to buy one)

3.  I've read all sorts of things about closing sockets properly, esp
with SSL.  am I doing this right?

4.  I want this app to be able to accept multiple sockets at once. 
mine waits for each socket until the prev is done.

I would like my code modified to incorporate all of these 4 problems. 
here is what I have currently (in the non-ssl version, and it is
working correctly...except for threading):

#!/usr/bin/perl

use IO::Socket::INET;

$server_port=11194;     #this is the port to listen on !

#  open a socket, start listening for connections, for some reason
changing this to IO::SOCKET::SSL doesn't work.. prob needs more
parameters?

$server = IO::Socket::INET->new(LocalPort => $server_port,
                                Type      => SOCK_STREAM, 
                                Reuse     => 1,
                                Listen    => 10 )
or die "Couldn't be a tcp server on port $server_port: $!\n";

while ($client = $server->accept()) {
    # $client is the new connection   
    $text=<$client>;
    
    #  do some stuff with $text
    
    # send to the client whatever I did in $return
    print $client $return;
    close($client);
    
    # clear query because it seems to keep old stuff in $text
    $text="";
    undef($text);
}   
close($server);

---

Clarification of Question by mactac-ga on 08 Jun 2004 17:23 PDT

I actually have purchased an sll certificate, so the part of my
question about self-signed certificates is no longer needed.

i need:
 - for this script to work with IO::SOCKET::SSL
 - for the script to thread properly
 - for the socket to close properly when closed (I heard there were
specific ways of doing this with IO::SOCKET::SSL)