crypto-utils/genkey.xml

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  "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbookx.dtd" [

<!ENTITY date SYSTEM "date.xml">
<!ENTITY version SYSTEM "version.xml">

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<refentry>

  <refentryinfo>
    <date>&date;</date>
    <title>Cryptography Utilities</title>
    <productname>crypto-utils</productname>
    <productnumber>&version;</productnumber>
  </refentryinfo>

  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>genkey</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
  </refmeta>

  <refnamediv>
    <refname>genkey</refname>
    <refpurpose>generate SSL certificates and certificate requests</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>

  <refsynopsisdiv>
    <cmdsynopsis>
      <command>genkey</command>
      <arg><option>--test</option></arg>
      <arg><option>--days <replaceable>count</replaceable></option></arg>
      <group>
        <arg><option>--genreq</option></arg>
        <arg><option>--makeca</option></arg>
        <arg><option>--nss</option></arg>
        <arg><option>--renew</option></arg>
        <arg><option>--cacert</option></arg>
      </group>
      <arg choice="req"><replaceable>hostname</replaceable></arg>
    </cmdsynopsis>
  </refsynopsisdiv>

  <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>

    <para><command>genkey</command> is an interactive command-line
    tool which can be used to generate SSL certificates or Certificate
    Signing Requests (CSR).  Generated certificates are stored in the
    directory <filename>/etc/pki/tls/certs/</filename>, and the
    corresponding private key in
    <filename>/etc/pki/tls/private/</filename>. </para>

    <para>When using mod_nss the private key is stored in the
    nss database. Consult the nss.conf file in
    <filename>/etc/httpd/conf.d/</filename>
    for the location of the database. </para>

    <para><command>genkey</command> will prompt for the size of key
    desired; whether or not to generate a CSR; whether or not an
    encrypted private key is desired; the certificate subject DN
    details.</para>

    <para><command>genkey</command> generates random data for the
    private key using the truerand library and also by prompting the
    user for entry of random text.</para>

    <para><option>nss</option> indicates that mod_nss database 
    should be used to store keys and certificates.</para>

  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1>
    <title>Options</title>
    
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>--makeca</option></term>
        <listitem><simpara>Generate a Certificate Authority
        keypair and certificate.</simpara></listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>--genreq</option></term>
        <listitem><simpara>Generate a Certificate Signing Request for
        an existing private key, which can be submitted to a CA (for
        example, for renewal).</simpara></listitem>
      </varlistentry>


      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>--renew</option></term>
        <listitem><simpara>Used with --genreq to indicate a renewal,
        the existing keypair will be used. Certs and keys must reside
        in the nss database, therefore --nss is also required. Pem file
        based cert renewal is not currently supported.</simpara></listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>--cacert</option></term>
        <listitem><simpara>The certificate renewal is for a CA, needed for openssl certs only.</simpara></listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>--days</option> <replaceable>count</replaceable></term>
        <listitem><simpara>When generating a self-signed certificate,
        specify that the number of days for which the certificate is
        valid be <replaceable>count</replaceable> rather than the default
        value of 30.</simpara></listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>--test</option></term>
        <listitem><simpara>For test purposes only; omit the slow
        process of generating random data.</simpara></listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1>
    <title>Examples</title>

    <para>The following example will create a self-signed certificate
    and private key for the hostname
    <literal>www.example.com</literal>:

      <programlisting>
        # genkey --days 120 www.example.com
      </programlisting>

    </para>

    <para>The following example will create a self-signed certificate
    and private key for the hostname <literal>www.nssexample.com</literal>
    which will be stored in cert and key in the nss database. If no nickname
    is given the tool will extract it from mod_nss's nss configuration file.
    
      <programlisting>
        # genkey --days --nss 120 www.nssexample.com
      </programlisting>

    </para>

    <para>The following example will generate a certificate signing
     request for a new mod_nss style cert specified by its nickname, 
    <literal>Server-Cert</literal>:
    
      <programlisting>
        # genkey --genreq --nss --days 120 Server-Cert
      </programlisting>

    </para>

    <para>The following example will generate a certificate signing request
    for the renewal of an existing mod_nss cert specified by its nickname, 
    <literal>Server-Cert</literal>:
    
      <programlisting>
        # genkey --genreq --renew --nss --days 120 Server-Cert
      </programlisting>

    </para>
   
  </refsect1>    

  <refsect1>
    <title>Files</title>

    <para><filename>/etc/pki/tls/openssl.cnf</filename></para>

  </refsect1>

  <refsect1>
    <title>See also</title>

    <para>certwatch(1), keyrand(1)</para>
  </refsect1>

</refentry>

<!-- LocalWords:  keypair certwatch
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