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1=pod
2
3=head1 NAME
4
09483c58 5dhparam - DH parameter manipulation and generation
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6
7=head1 SYNOPSIS
8
41918458 9B<openssl dhparam>
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10[B<-inform DER|PEM>]
11[B<-outform DER|PEM>]
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12[B<-in> I<filename>]
13[B<-out> I<filename>]
14[B<-dsaparam>]
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15[B<-noout>]
16[B<-text>]
17[B<-C>]
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18[B<-2>]
19[B<-5>]
41918458 20[B<-rand> I<file(s)>]
bfa35550 21[B<-engine id>]
41918458 22[I<numbits>]
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23
24=head1 DESCRIPTION
25
26This command is used to manipulate DH parameter files.
27
28=head1 OPTIONS
29
30=over 4
31
32=item B<-inform DER|PEM>
33
34This specifies the input format. The B<DER> option uses an ASN1 DER encoded
35form compatible with the PKCS#3 DHparameter structure. The PEM form is the
36default format: it consists of the B<DER> format base64 encoded with
37additional header and footer lines.
38
39=item B<-outform DER|PEM>
40
41This specifies the output format, the options have the same meaning as the
42B<-inform> option.
43
41918458 44=item B<-in> I<filename>
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45
46This specifies the input filename to read parameters from or standard input if
47this option is not specified.
48
41918458 49=item B<-out> I<filename>
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50
51This specifies the output filename parameters to. Standard output is used
52if this option is not present. The output filename should B<not> be the same
53as the input filename.
54
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55=item B<-dsaparam>
56
57If this option is used, DSA rather than DH parameters are read or created;
58they are converted to DH format. Otherwise, "strong" primes (such
59that (p-1)/2 is also prime) will be used for DH parameter generation.
60
61DH parameter generation with the B<-dsaparam> option is much faster,
62and the recommended exponent length is shorter, which makes DH key
63exchange more efficient. Beware that with such DSA-style DH
64parameters, a fresh DH key should be created for each use to
65avoid small-subgroup attacks that may be possible otherwise.
66
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67=item B<-2>, B<-5>
68
69The generator to use, either 2 or 5. 2 is the default. If present then the
70input file is ignored and parameters are generated instead.
71
41918458 72=item B<-rand> I<file(s)>
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73
74a file or files containing random data used to seed the random number
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75generator, or an EGD socket (see L<RAND_egd(3)|RAND_egd(3)>).
76Multiple files can be specified separated by a OS-dependent character.
b87ef946 77The separator is B<;> for MS-Windows, B<,> for OpenVMS, and B<:> for
a4cfd178 78all others.
09483c58 79
41918458 80=item I<numbits>
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81
82this option specifies that a parameter set should be generated of size
41918458 83I<numbits>. It must be the last option. If not present then a value of 512
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84is used. If this option is present then the input file is ignored and
85parameters are generated instead.
86
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87=item B<-noout>
88
89this option inhibits the output of the encoded version of the parameters.
90
91=item B<-text>
92
93this option prints out the DH parameters in human readable form.
94
95=item B<-C>
96
97this option converts the parameters into C code. The parameters can then
41918458 98be loaded by calling the B<get_dh>I<numbits>B<()> function.
ef7eaa4c 99
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100=item B<-engine id>
101
e5fa864f 102specifying an engine (by its unique B<id> string) will cause B<dhparam>
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103to attempt to obtain a functional reference to the specified engine,
104thus initialising it if needed. The engine will then be set as the default
105for all available algorithms.
106
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107=back
108
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109=head1 WARNINGS
110
111The program B<dhparam> combines the functionality of the programs B<dh> and
112B<gendh> in previous versions of OpenSSL and SSLeay. The B<dh> and B<gendh>
113programs are retained for now but may have different purposes in future
114versions of OpenSSL.
115
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116=head1 NOTES
117
118PEM format DH parameters use the header and footer lines:
119
120 -----BEGIN DH PARAMETERS-----
121 -----END DH PARAMETERS-----
122
123OpenSSL currently only supports the older PKCS#3 DH, not the newer X9.42
124DH.
125
126This program manipulates DH parameters not keys.
127
128=head1 BUGS
129
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130There should be a way to generate and manipulate DH keys.
131
132=head1 SEE ALSO
133
bb075f88 134L<dsaparam(1)|dsaparam(1)>
ef7eaa4c 135
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136=head1 HISTORY
137
138The B<dhparam> command was added in OpenSSL 0.9.5.
139The B<-dsaparam> option was added in OpenSSL 0.9.6.
140
ef7eaa4c 141=cut