]> git.ipfire.org Git - thirdparty/openssl.git/blame - doc/man1/rsa.pod
Add missing documentation of the default format for commands.
[thirdparty/openssl.git] / doc / man1 / rsa.pod
CommitLineData
aba3e65f
DSH
1=pod
2
3=head1 NAME
4
5rsa - RSA key processing tool
6
7=head1 SYNOPSIS
8
9B<openssl> B<rsa>
169394d4 10[B<-help>]
aba3e65f
DSH
11[B<-inform PEM|NET|DER>]
12[B<-outform PEM|NET|DER>]
13[B<-in filename>]
a3fe382e 14[B<-passin arg>]
aba3e65f 15[B<-out filename>]
a3fe382e 16[B<-passout arg>]
fc1d88f0
RS
17[B<-aes128>]
18[B<-aes192>]
19[B<-aes256>]
d42d0a4d
P
20[B<-aria128>]
21[B<-aria192>]
22[B<-aria256>]
fc1d88f0
RS
23[B<-camellia128>]
24[B<-camellia192>]
25[B<-camellia256>]
aba3e65f
DSH
26[B<-des>]
27[B<-des3>]
28[B<-idea>]
29[B<-text>]
30[B<-noout>]
31[B<-modulus>]
32[B<-check>]
33[B<-pubin>]
34[B<-pubout>]
9c75461b
DSH
35[B<-RSAPublicKey_in>]
36[B<-RSAPublicKey_out>]
bfa35550 37[B<-engine id>]
aba3e65f
DSH
38
39=head1 DESCRIPTION
40
41The B<rsa> command processes RSA keys. They can be converted between various
42forms and their components printed out. B<Note> this command uses the
43traditional SSLeay compatible format for private key encryption: newer
44applications should use the more secure PKCS#8 format using the B<pkcs8>
45utility.
46
3dfda1a6 47=head1 OPTIONS
aba3e65f
DSH
48
49=over 4
50
169394d4
MR
51=item B<-help>
52
53Print out a usage message.
54
aba3e65f
DSH
55=item B<-inform DER|NET|PEM>
56
57This specifies the input format. The B<DER> option uses an ASN1 DER encoded
13938ace
DSH
58form compatible with the PKCS#1 RSAPrivateKey or SubjectPublicKeyInfo format.
59The B<PEM> form is the default format: it consists of the B<DER> format base64
60encoded with additional header and footer lines. On input PKCS#8 format private
d3ed8ceb
DSH
61keys are also accepted. The B<NET> form is a format is described in the B<NOTES>
62section.
aba3e65f
DSH
63
64=item B<-outform DER|NET|PEM>
65
7477c83e
TM
66This specifies the output format, the options have the same meaning and default
67as the B<-inform> option.
aba3e65f
DSH
68
69=item B<-in filename>
70
71This specifies the input filename to read a key from or standard input if this
72option is not specified. If the key is encrypted a pass phrase will be
73prompted for.
74
a3fe382e 75=item B<-passin arg>
af29811e 76
c4de074e 77The input file password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
9b86974e 78see the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)>.
af29811e 79
aba3e65f
DSH
80=item B<-out filename>
81
cc8709a0
DSH
82This specifies the output filename to write a key to or standard output if this
83option is not specified. If any encryption options are set then a pass phrase
84will be prompted for. The output filename should B<not> be the same as the input
aba3e65f
DSH
85filename.
86
af29811e
DSH
87=item B<-passout password>
88
c4de074e 89The output file password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
9b86974e 90see the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)>.
af29811e 91
d42d0a4d 92=item B<-aes128|-aes192|-aes256|-aria128|-aria192|-aria256|-camellia128|-camellia192|-camellia256|-des|-des3|-idea>
aba3e65f 93
fc1d88f0
RS
94These options encrypt the private key with the specified
95cipher before outputting it. A pass phrase is prompted for.
aba3e65f
DSH
96If none of these options is specified the key is written in plain text. This
97means that using the B<rsa> utility to read in an encrypted key with no
98encryption option can be used to remove the pass phrase from a key, or by
99setting the encryption options it can be use to add or change the pass phrase.
100These options can only be used with PEM format output files.
101
102=item B<-text>
103
c4de074e 104Prints out the various public or private key components in
1bc74519 105plain text in addition to the encoded version.
aba3e65f
DSH
106
107=item B<-noout>
108
c4de074e 109This option prevents output of the encoded version of the key.
aba3e65f
DSH
110
111=item B<-modulus>
112
c4de074e 113This option prints out the value of the modulus of the key.
aba3e65f
DSH
114
115=item B<-check>
116
c4de074e 117This option checks the consistency of an RSA private key.
aba3e65f
DSH
118
119=item B<-pubin>
120
c4de074e 121By default a private key is read from the input file: with this
0cd4498b 122option a public key is read instead.
aba3e65f
DSH
123
124=item B<-pubout>
125
c4de074e 126By default a private key is output: with this option a public
0cd4498b
DSH
127key will be output instead. This option is automatically set if
128the input is a public key.
aba3e65f 129
9c75461b
DSH
130=item B<-RSAPublicKey_in>, B<-RSAPublicKey_out>
131
c4de074e 132Like B<-pubin> and B<-pubout> except B<RSAPublicKey> format is used instead.
9c75461b 133
bfa35550
RL
134=item B<-engine id>
135
c4de074e 136Specifying an engine (by its unique B<id> string) will cause B<rsa>
bfa35550
RL
137to attempt to obtain a functional reference to the specified engine,
138thus initialising it if needed. The engine will then be set as the default
139for all available algorithms.
140
aba3e65f
DSH
141=back
142
0286d944
DSH
143=head1 NOTES
144
145The PEM private key format uses the header and footer lines:
146
147 -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
148 -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
149
0cd4498b
DSH
150The PEM public key format uses the header and footer lines:
151
152 -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
153 -----END PUBLIC KEY-----
154
9c75461b
DSH
155The PEM B<RSAPublicKey> format uses the header and footer lines:
156
157 -----BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY-----
158 -----END RSA PUBLIC KEY-----
159
d3ed8ceb
DSH
160The B<NET> form is a format compatible with older Netscape servers
161and Microsoft IIS .key files, this uses unsalted RC4 for its encryption.
162It is not very secure and so should only be used when necessary.
163
164Some newer version of IIS have additional data in the exported .key
3b80e3aa 165files. To use these with the utility, view the file with a binary editor
d3ed8ceb
DSH
166and look for the string "private-key", then trace back to the byte
167sequence 0x30, 0x82 (this is an ASN1 SEQUENCE). Copy all the data
168from this point onwards to another file and use that as the input
46aa6078 169to the B<rsa> utility with the B<-inform NET> option.
d3ed8ceb 170
aba3e65f
DSH
171=head1 EXAMPLES
172
173To remove the pass phrase on an RSA private key:
174
1675f6eb 175 openssl rsa -in key.pem -out keyout.pem
aba3e65f
DSH
176
177To encrypt a private key using triple DES:
178
1675f6eb 179 openssl rsa -in key.pem -des3 -out keyout.pem
aba3e65f 180
1bc74519 181To convert a private key from PEM to DER format:
aba3e65f 182
1675f6eb 183 openssl rsa -in key.pem -outform DER -out keyout.der
aba3e65f
DSH
184
185To print out the components of a private key to standard output:
186
1675f6eb 187 openssl rsa -in key.pem -text -noout
aba3e65f
DSH
188
189To just output the public part of a private key:
190
1675f6eb 191 openssl rsa -in key.pem -pubout -out pubkey.pem
aba3e65f 192
9c75461b
DSH
193Output the public part of a private key in B<RSAPublicKey> format:
194
195 openssl rsa -in key.pem -RSAPublicKey_out -out pubkey.pem
196
d3ed8ceb
DSH
197=head1 BUGS
198
199The command line password arguments don't currently work with
200B<NET> format.
201
202There should be an option that automatically handles .key files,
203without having to manually edit them.
204
aba3e65f
DSH
205=head1 SEE ALSO
206
9b86974e 207L<pkcs8(1)>, L<dsa(1)>, L<genrsa(1)>,
1bc74519 208L<gendsa(1)>
aba3e65f 209
e2f92610
RS
210=head1 COPYRIGHT
211
d42d0a4d 212Copyright 2000-2017 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.
e2f92610
RS
213
214Licensed under the OpenSSL license (the "License"). You may not use
215this file except in compliance with the License. You can obtain a copy
216in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at
217L<https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>.
218
219=cut