PKI --GEN(1) strongSwan PKI --GEN(1)NAME
pki --gen - Generate a new RSA or ECDSA private key
SYNOPSIS
pki --gen [--type type] [--size bits] [--safe-primes] [--shares n]
[--threshold l] [--outform encoding] [--debug level]
pki --gen --options file
pki --gen -h | --help
DESCRIPTION
This sub-command of pki(1) is used to generate a new RSA or ECDSA pri‐
vate key.
OPTIONS-h, --help
Print usage information with a summary of the available options.
-v, --debug level
Set debug level, default: 1.
-+, --options file
Read command line options from file.
-t, --type type
Type of key to generate. Either rsa or ecdsa, defaults to rsa.
-s, --size bits
Key length in bits. Defaults to 2048 for rsa and 384 for ecdsa.
For ecdsa only three values are currently supported: 256, 384
and 521.
-p, --safe-primes
Generate RSA safe primes.
-f, --outform encoding
Encoding of the generated private key. Either der (ASN.1 DER) or
pem (Base64 PEM), defaults to der.
RSA Threshold Cryptography
-n, --shares <n>
Number of private RSA key shares.
-l, --threshold <l>
Minimum number of participating RSA key shares.
PROBLEMS ON HOSTS WITH LOW ENTROPY
If the gmp plugin is used to generate RSA private keys the key material
is read from /dev/random (via the random plugin). Therefore, the com‐
mand may block if the system's entropy pool is empty. To avoid this,
either use a hardware random number generator to feed /dev/random or
use OpenSSL (via the openssl plugin or the command line) which is not
as strict in regards to the quality of the key material (it reads from
/dev/urandom if necessary). It is also possible to configure the
devices used by the random plugin in strongswan.conf(5). Setting lib‐
strongswan.plugins.random.random to /dev/urandom forces the plugin to
treat bytes read from /dev/urandom as high grade random data, thus
avoiding the blocking. Of course, this doesn't change the fact that the
key material generated this way is of lower quality.
EXAMPLES
pki --gen --size 3072 > rsa_key.der
Generates a 3072-bit RSA private key.
pki --gen --type ecdsa --size 256 > ecdsa_key.der
Generates a 256-bit ECDSA private key.
SEE ALSOpki(1)5.1.3 2013-07-31 PKI --GEN(1)
