java.io.IOException: Cannot recover key

For those who are NOT familiar with configuring tomcat HTTPS connector (I had apache-tomcat-7.0.34), like me, this error can be frustrating. It turned out to be a simple fix. I am assuming you have properly generated a tomcat key, a keystore and imported them successfully into JAVA cacerts keystore. As for my case I chose my own keystore filename, my own kesytore pass(word) and my own tomcat key pass(word). Unfortunately, these require explicitly be entered in your tomcat's server.xml. 

Consider the following template in the tomcat's server.xml file after you uncommented it.

If you named your keystore as ".keystore" with key and keystore pass(word) as "changeit" and left it reside in your home dir (i.e.: /home/hamid) , then above setup would work happily just like that.

Unfortunately, for most of the time it is not the case as you would name your keystore to some other name, located to some other location (folder) and both key & keystore with some other pass(word).

For example:

Keystore name: keystore.jks

Keystore folder: /home/hamid/secret/store

Keystore password: password1

Key password: password2

Then you would want to do the following:

I hope that helps.

Happy Godek'king!

FYI "Godek" slang means "hack" in Malay :)