1251607Sdim=pod
2251607Sdim
3251607Sdim=head1 NAME
4251607Sdim
5251607Sdimec - EC key processing
6251607Sdim
7251607Sdim=head1 SYNOPSIS
8251607Sdim
9251607SdimB<openssl> B<ec>
10251607Sdim[B<-inform PEM|DER>]
11251607Sdim[B<-outform PEM|DER>]
12251607Sdim[B<-in filename>]
13251607Sdim[B<-passin arg>]
14251607Sdim[B<-out filename>]
15251607Sdim[B<-passout arg>]
16251607Sdim[B<-des>]
17251607Sdim[B<-des3>]
18251607Sdim[B<-idea>]
19251607Sdim[B<-text>]
20251607Sdim[B<-noout>]
21251607Sdim[B<-param_out>]
22251607Sdim[B<-pubin>]
23251607Sdim[B<-pubout>]
24251607Sdim[B<-conv_form arg>]
25251607Sdim[B<-param_enc arg>]
26251607Sdim[B<-engine id>]
27251607Sdim
28251607Sdim=head1 DESCRIPTION
29251607Sdim
30251607SdimThe B<ec> command processes EC keys. They can be converted between various
31263508Sdimforms and their components printed out. B<Note> OpenSSL uses the 
32263508Sdimprivate key format specified in 'SEC 1: Elliptic Curve Cryptography'
33263508Sdim(http://www.secg.org/). To convert a OpenSSL EC private key into the
34263508SdimPKCS#8 private key format use the B<pkcs8> command.
35263508Sdim
36263508Sdim=head1 COMMAND OPTIONS
37263508Sdim
38263508Sdim=over 4
39263508Sdim
40263508Sdim=item B<-inform DER|PEM>
41263508Sdim
42263508SdimThis specifies the input format. The B<DER> option with a private key uses
43263508Sdiman ASN.1 DER encoded SEC1 private key. When used with a public key it
44263508Sdimuses the SubjectPublicKeyInfo structure as specified in RFC 3280.
45251607SdimThe B<PEM> form is the default format: it consists of the B<DER> format base64
46263508Sdimencoded with additional header and footer lines. In the case of a private key
47263508SdimPKCS#8 format is also accepted.
48263508Sdim
49263508Sdim=item B<-outform DER|PEM>
50263508Sdim
51263508SdimThis specifies the output format, the options have the same meaning as the 
52263508SdimB<-inform> option.
53263508Sdim
54263508Sdim=item B<-in filename>
55263508Sdim
56251607SdimThis specifies the input filename to read a key from or standard input if this
57251607Sdimoption is not specified. If the key is encrypted a pass phrase will be
58251607Sdimprompted for.
59251607Sdim
60251607Sdim=item B<-passin arg>
61251607Sdim
62251607Sdimthe input file password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
63251607Sdimsee the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)|openssl(1)>.
64263508Sdim
65263508Sdim=item B<-out filename>
66263508Sdim
67263508SdimThis specifies the output filename to write a key to or standard output by
68263508Sdimis not specified. If any encryption options are set then a pass phrase will be
69263508Sdimprompted for. The output filename should B<not> be the same as the input
70263508Sdimfilename.
71263508Sdim
72263508Sdim=item B<-passout arg>
73263508Sdim
74263508Sdimthe output file password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
75263508Sdimsee the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)|openssl(1)>.
76263508Sdim
77263508Sdim=item B<-des|-des3|-idea>
78263508Sdim
79263508SdimThese options encrypt the private key with the DES, triple DES, IDEA or 
80263508Sdimany other cipher supported by OpenSSL before outputting it. A pass phrase is
81263508Sdimprompted for.
82263508SdimIf none of these options is specified the key is written in plain text. This
83263508Sdimmeans that using the B<ec> utility to read in an encrypted key with no
84263508Sdimencryption option can be used to remove the pass phrase from a key, or by
85263508Sdimsetting the encryption options it can be use to add or change the pass phrase.
86263508SdimThese options can only be used with PEM format output files.
87263508Sdim
88263508Sdim=item B<-text>
89263508Sdim
90263508Sdimprints out the public, private key components and parameters.
91263508Sdim
92263508Sdim=item B<-noout>
93263508Sdim
94263508Sdimthis option prevents output of the encoded version of the key.
95263508Sdim
96263508Sdim=item B<-modulus>
97263508Sdim
98263508Sdimthis option prints out the value of the public key component of the key.
99263508Sdim
100263508Sdim=item B<-pubin>
101263508Sdim
102263508Sdimby default a private key is read from the input file: with this option a
103263508Sdimpublic key is read instead.
104263508Sdim
105263508Sdim=item B<-pubout>
106263508Sdim
107263508Sdimby default a private key is output. With this option a public
108263508Sdimkey will be output instead. This option is automatically set if the input is
109263508Sdima public key.
110263508Sdim
111251607Sdim=item B<-conv_form>
112251607Sdim
113251607SdimThis specifies how the points on the elliptic curve are converted
114251607Sdiminto octet strings. Possible values are: B<compressed> (the default
115263508Sdimvalue), B<uncompressed> and B<hybrid>. For more information regarding
116251607Sdimthe point conversion forms please read the X9.62 standard.
117251607SdimB<Note> Due to patent issues the B<compressed> option is disabled
118251607Sdimby default for binary curves and can be enabled by defining
119263508Sdimthe preprocessor macro B<OPENSSL_EC_BIN_PT_COMP> at compile time.
120263508Sdim
121263508Sdim=item B<-param_enc arg>
122263508Sdim
123263508SdimThis specifies how the elliptic curve parameters are encoded.
124263508SdimPossible value are: B<named_curve>, i.e. the ec parameters are
125263508Sdimspecified by a OID, or B<explicit> where the ec parameters are
126263508Sdimexplicitly given (see RFC 3279 for the definition of the 
127263508SdimEC parameters structures). The default value is B<named_curve>.
128263508SdimB<Note> the B<implicitlyCA> alternative ,as specified in RFC 3279,
129263508Sdimis currently not implemented in OpenSSL.
130263508Sdim
131263508Sdim=item B<-engine id>
132251607Sdim
133251607Sdimspecifying an engine (by its unique B<id> string) will cause B<ec>
134251607Sdimto attempt to obtain a functional reference to the specified engine,
135251607Sdimthus initialising it if needed. The engine will then be set as the default
136251607Sdimfor all available algorithms.
137251607Sdim
138251607Sdim=back
139251607Sdim
140263508Sdim=head1 NOTES
141263508Sdim
142251607SdimThe PEM private key format uses the header and footer lines:
143251607Sdim
144251607Sdim -----BEGIN EC PRIVATE KEY-----
145251607Sdim -----END EC PRIVATE KEY-----
146251607Sdim
147251607SdimThe PEM public key format uses the header and footer lines:
148251607Sdim
149251607Sdim -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
150251607Sdim -----END PUBLIC KEY-----
151251607Sdim
152263508Sdim=head1 EXAMPLES
153263508Sdim
154263508SdimTo encrypt a private key using triple DES:
155263508Sdim
156263508Sdim openssl ec -in key.pem -des3 -out keyout.pem
157263508Sdim
158263508SdimTo convert a private key from PEM to DER format: 
159263508Sdim
160263508Sdim openssl ec -in key.pem -outform DER -out keyout.der
161263508Sdim
162263508SdimTo print out the components of a private key to standard output:
163263508Sdim
164263508Sdim openssl ec -in key.pem -text -noout
165263508Sdim
166263508SdimTo just output the public part of a private key:
167263508Sdim
168263508Sdim openssl ec -in key.pem -pubout -out pubkey.pem
169263508Sdim
170263508SdimTo change the parameters encoding to B<explicit>:
171263508Sdim
172263508Sdim openssl ec -in key.pem -param_enc explicit -out keyout.pem
173263508Sdim
174263508SdimTo change the point conversion form to B<compressed>:
175251607Sdim
176251607Sdim openssl ec -in key.pem -conv_form compressed -out keyout.pem
177251607Sdim
178251607Sdim=head1 SEE ALSO
179251607Sdim
180251607SdimL<ecparam(1)|ecparam(1)>, L<dsa(1)|dsa(1)>, L<rsa(1)|rsa(1)>
181251607Sdim
182251607Sdim=head1 HISTORY
183251607Sdim
184251607SdimThe ec command was first introduced in OpenSSL 0.9.8.
185251607Sdim
186251607Sdim=head1 AUTHOR
187251607Sdim
188251607SdimNils Larsch for the OpenSSL project (http://www.openssl.org).
189251607Sdim
190251607Sdim=cut
191263508Sdim