NAME
ipsec_newhostkey - generate a new raw RSA authentication key for a host
SYNOPSIS
ipsec newhostkey [[--quiet] | [--verbose]] [--bits bits]
[--hostname hostname] --output filename
DESCRIPTION
newhostkey outputs (into filename, which can be ´-´ for standard
output) an RSA private key suitable for this host, in
/etc/ipsec.secrets format (see ipsec.secrets(5)) using the --quiet
option per default.
The --output option is mandatory. The specified filename is created
under umask 077 if nonexistent; if it already exists and is non-empty,
a warning message about that is sent to standard error, and the output
is appended to the file.
The --quiet option suppresses both the rsasigkey narrative and the
existing-file warning message.
The --bits option specifies the number of bits in the key; the current
default is 2192 and we do not recommend use of anything shorter unless
unusual constraints demand it.
The --hostname option is passed through to rsasigkey to tell it what
host name to label the output with (via its --hostname option).
The output format is that of rsasigkey, with bracketing added to
complete the ipsec.secrets format. In the usual case, where
ipsec.secrets contains only the host’s own private key, the output of
newhostkey is sufficient as a complete ipsec.secrets file.
FILES
/dev/random, /dev/urandom
SEE ALSO
ipsec_rsasigkey(8), ipsec.secrets(5)
HISTORY
Written for the Linux FreeS/WAN project <http://www.freeswan.org> by
Henry Spencer.
BUGS
As with rsasigkey, the run time is difficult to predict, since
depletion of the system’s randomness pool can cause arbitrarily long
waits for random bits, and the prime-number searches can also take
unpre dictable (and potentially large) amounts of CPU time. See
ipsec_rsasigkey(8) for some typical performance numbers.
A higher-level tool which could handle the clerical details of changing
to a new key would be helpful.
The requirement for --output is a blemish, but private keys are
extremely sensitive information and unusual precautions seem justified.