Node.js app works via HTTP but doesn't work via HTTPS

Question

I'm trying to make a Node.js + Express + Vue.js + Apache + MySQL application work on my server via HTTPS protocol. (works fine locally or via HTTP on the server).

There is a URL (subdomain) for API which returns a JSON result, let's say "api.mysite.com".

I tried different approaches, right now I use port 443 in my app.js (it doesn't help):

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 443

app.listen(PORT, () => {
    console.log(`Server stated on port ${PORT}`)
})

On my local machine I use port 5000 and access the app by "http://locahost:5000" (and it works fine).

"/etc/apache2/sites-available/my-site-api.conf":

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName api.mysite.com
    ServerAlias api.mysite.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/mysite/api
    RewriteEngine on
    RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =api.mysite.com
    RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
</VirtualHost>

"/etc/apache2/sites-available/my-site-api-le-ssl.conf":

<IfModule mod_ssl.c>
    <VirtualHost *:443>
        ServerName api.mysite.com
        ServerAlias api.mysite.com
        DocumentRoot /var/www/mysite/api
        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
        RewriteEngine on
        # Some rewrite rules in this file were disabled on your HTTPS site,
        # because they have the potential to create redirection loops.
        
        # RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =api.mysite.com [OR]
        # RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =api.mysite.com
        # RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
        Include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-apache.conf
        SSLCertificateFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/api.mysite.com/fullchain.pem
        SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/api.mysite.com/privkey.pem
    </VirtualHost>
</IfModule>

Let me know if you need any other info.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Answer 1

Looks like both Apache and your app are configured to listen at port 443. I assume the essence error you're getting is that there should be only one listener per port, and it tells you that 443 is already busy by apache.

I can see 2 ways to go, if you want to expose your app under HTTPS/443

1. set up Apache as a proxy, so that it listens to 443 and forwards requests to your app (which should continue to listen to 5000). That would require adding into Apache config something like this:

ProxyPass "/" "http://localhost:5000"

2. Avoid using Apache and expose your app under https directly. In this case you'd have to supply your app initialization with params telling where to find the certificates, and you will have to run your app as a super user.

More details here: Enabling HTTPS on express.js