Setting up S/MIME for shared users of a single Mac

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Setting up S/MIME for shared users of a single Mac

Hi folks, I am pulling my hair out here.

I have successfully created some SSL certificates for my family and installed one for myself as the primary user and administrator of our iMac. The option to sign and encrypt messages appears correctly for myself in Apple Mail.

However, when a secondary user of the computer logs in and goes through and wants to install their certificate, Keychain puts it in the Certificates category - not "My Certificates" category. Consequently Apple Mail does not pick the certificate up for that user or know to use that certificate for that email account.

Short of standing on my head I haven't been able to figure this out.

Does anyone have any ideas?

We are on the latest release of OS X and Apple Mail.

Many thanks in advance!

iMac (27-inch Mid 2010), OS X Yosemite (10.10.2), null

Posted on Mar 28, 2015 9:22 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Mar 28, 2015 10:20 PM in response to ArtemisAUS

When you open the certificate file, you should be prompted to select a keychain in which to store it. Does that not happen?

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Answer 2

ArtemisAUS Author

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Mar 28, 2015 11:12 PM in response to Linc Davis

No what happens when I am logged in as the secondary user - who I also allow to administer the computer, what it does is throw up a permission box that says I am trying to modify the System Keychain. When I add the administrators credentials it just automatically adds it the "Certificates" store rather than "My Certificates". However, when I did this when I was logged in as the primary admin it adds it to the my certificates store - this is why I am at a loss...

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Mar 29, 2015 8:30 AM in response to ArtemisAUS

You installed the certificate in the System keychain. Export and delete it from there, then import it into the default keychain, or the iCloud keychain if applicable.

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Answer 4

ArtemisAUS Author

Level 1

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Mar 29, 2015 4:59 PM in response to Linc Davis

Hi there, none of these options worked. What I did in the end to solve this problem is to request the certificate from within the browser of the logged in user and downloaded there in situ and just double clicking it automatically installed it into the my certificates folder of the logged in user. Turns out for some reason that when you request the certificate you have to download it using the same browser from which you created it. How crazy is that!

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