The function file() fails when I try to open a https URL where the site uses a self-signed certificate.

Example:

<?php

$var=file('https://mail.xalan.com');
var_dump($var);

?>

This script fails.  All that gets printed out is

bool(false)

In the apache error logs I get the following message:

[Tue Feb  4 18:10:28 2003] [error] PHP Warning:  file() [<a href='http://www.php.net/function.file'>function.file</a>]: php_hostconnect: connect failed in /usr/local/apache/htdocs/test_ssl.php on line 3
[Tue Feb  4 18:10:28 2003] [error] PHP Warning:  file(https://mail.xalan.com) [<a href='http://www.php.net/function.file'>function.file</a>]: failed to create stream: Connection timed out in /usr/local/apache/htdocs/test_ssl.php on line 3

However, if I substitute the URL with a site that uses a trusted certificate it works fine:

<?php

$var=file('https://www.wachovia.com');
var_dump($var);

?>

 './configure' '--with-apxs=/usr/local/apache/bin/apxs' '--with-openssl=/usr/local/ssl' '--with-bz2' '--with-pspell' '--with-db3=/usr/lib' '--enable-ftp' '--with-gd' '--with-imap=/usr/local/imap-2002b' '--with-imap-ssl=/usr/local/imap-2002b' '--with-ldap' '--with-jpeg-dir=/usr/lib' '--with-xpm-dir=/usr/lib' '--with-freetype-dir=/usr/lib' '--enable-sigchild' '--with-gettext' '--with-mcrypt' '--with-xml' '--with-mysql=/usr/local/mysql' '--with-mhash' '--with-zlib' '--with-dom' '--with-dom-xslt' '--with-dom-exslt' '--with-png-dir=/usr/lib' '--enable-mime-magic'

Also my max_execution_time = 90000.  The URL loads in less than 2 seconds when I use my browser.