# TLS Setup - cpp-httplib

# TLS Setup

So far we've been using plain HTTP, but in the real world, HTTPS is the norm. To use HTTPS with cpp-httplib, you need a TLS library.

In this tour, we'll use OpenSSL. It's the most widely used option, and you'll find plenty of resources online.

## Installing OpenSSL

Install it for your OS.

OS | How to install
--- | ---
macOS | Homebrew (`brew install openssl`)
Ubuntu / Debian | `sudo apt install libssl-dev`
Windows | vcpkg (`vcpkg install openssl`)

## Compile Options

To enable TLS, define the `CPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT` macro when compiling. You'll need a few extra options compared to the previous chapters.

    # macOS (Homebrew)
    clang++ -std=c++17 -DCPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT \
        -I$(brew --prefix openssl)/include \
        -L$(brew --prefix openssl)/lib \
        -lssl -lcrypto \
        -framework CoreFoundation -framework Security \
        -o server server.cpp

    # Linux
    clang++ -std=c++17 -pthread -DCPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT \
        -lssl -lcrypto \
        -o server server.cpp

    # Windows (Developer Command Prompt)
    cl /EHsc /std:c++17 /DCPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT server.cpp libssl.lib libcrypto.lib

    # macOS (Homebrew)
    clang++ -std=c++17 -DCPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT \
        -I$(brew --prefix openssl)/include \
        -L$(brew --prefix openssl)/lib \
        -lssl -lcrypto \
        -framework CoreFoundation -framework Security \
        -o server server.cpp

    # Linux
    clang++ -std=c++17 -pthread -DCPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT \
        -lssl -lcrypto \
        -o server server.cpp

    # Windows (Developer Command Prompt)
    cl /EHsc /std:c++17 /DCPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT server.cpp libssl.lib libcrypto.lib

Let's look at what each option does.

- `-DCPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT` — Defines the macro that enables TLS support
- `-lssl -lcrypto` — Links the OpenSSL libraries
- `-I` / `-L` (macOS only) — Points to the Homebrew OpenSSL paths
- `-framework CoreFoundation -framework Security` (macOS only) — Needed to automatically load system certificates from the Keychain

## Verifying the Setup

Let's make sure everything works. Here's a simple program that passes an HTTPS URL to `httplib::Client`.

    #define CPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT
    #include "httplib.h"
    #include <iostream>

    int main() {
        httplib::Client cli("https://www.google.com");

        auto res = cli.Get("/");
        if (res) {
            std::cout << "Status: " << res->status << std::endl;
        } else {
            std::cout << "Error: " << httplib::to_string(res.error()) << std::endl;
        }
    }

    #define CPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT
    #include "httplib.h"
    #include <iostream>

    int main() {
        httplib::Client cli("https://www.google.com");

        auto res = cli.Get("/");
        if (res) {
            std::cout << "Status: " << res->status << std::endl;
        } else {
            std::cout << "Error: " << httplib::to_string(res.error()) << std::endl;
        }
    }

Compile and run it. If you see `Status: 200`, your setup is complete.

## Other TLS Backends

cpp-httplib also supports Mbed TLS and wolfSSL in addition to OpenSSL. You can switch between them just by changing the macro definition and linked libraries.

Backend | Macro | Libraries to link
--- | --- | ---
OpenSSL | `CPPHTTPLIB_OPENSSL_SUPPORT` | `libssl`, `libcrypto`
Mbed TLS | `CPPHTTPLIB_MBEDTLS_SUPPORT` | `libmbedtls`, `libmbedx509`, `libmbedcrypto`
wolfSSL | `CPPHTTPLIB_WOLFSSL_SUPPORT` | `libwolfssl`

This tour assumes OpenSSL, but the API is the same regardless of which backend you choose.

## Next Step

You're all set with TLS. Next, let's send a request to an HTTPS site.

Next: HTTPS Client