Deciding on Key Generation Options
Enter CSR and Private Key command. Generate a private key and CSR by running the following command: Here is the plain text version to copy and paste into your terminal: openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout server.key -out server.csr. Note: Replace “server ” with the domain name you intend to secure. Enter your CSR details.
When generating a key, you have to decide three things: the key algorithm, the key size, and whether to use a passphrase.
Key Algorithm
How to generate private key and CSR from command line This article describes how to generate a private key and CSR (Certificate Signing Request) from the command line. You may need to do this if you want to obtain an SSL certificate for a system that does not include cPanel access, such as a dedicated server or unmanaged VPS. The following sections describe how to use OpenSSL to generate a CSR for a single host name. If you want to generate a CSR for multiple host names, we recommend using the Cloud Control Panel or the MyRackspace Portal. Install OpenSSL. Check whether OpenSSL is installed by using the following command: CentOS® and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®. Sep 12, 2014 Generate a CSR from an Existing Private Key. Use this method if you already have a private key that you would like to use to request a certificate from a CA. This command creates a new CSR (domain.csr) based on an existing private key (domain.key): openssl req -key domain.key -new -out domain.csr. Generating the Private Key - Linux 1. Open the Terminal. Navigate to the folder with the ListManager directory. Type the following: openssl genrsa -out rsa.private 1024 4. The private key is generated and saved in a file named 'rsa.private' located in the same folder. Generating the Public Key - Linux 1. Open the Terminal.
For the key algorithm, you need to take into account its compatibility. For this reason, we recommend you use RSA. However, if you have a specific need to use another algorithm (such as ECDSA), you can use that too, but be aware of the compatibility issues you might run into.
Note: This guide only covers generating keys using the RSA algorithm.
Key Size
For the key size, you need to select a bit length of at least 2048 when using RSA and 256 when using ECDSA; these are the smallest key sizes allowed for SSL certificates. Unless you need to use a larger key size, we recommend sticking with 2048 with RSA and 256 with ECDSA.
Openssl Commands To Generate Private Keyboard
Note: In older versions of OpenSSL, if no key size is specified, the default key size of 512 is used. Any key size lower than 2048 is considered unsecure and should never be used.
Passphrase
For the passphrase, you need to decide whether you want to use one. If used, the private key will be encrypted using the specified encryption method, and it will be impossible to use without the passphrase. Because there are pros and cons with both options, it's important you understand the implications of using or not using a passphrase. In this guide, we will not be using a passphrase in our examples.
< Cryptography
Download and install the OpenSSL runtimes. If you are running Windows, grab the Cygwin package.
![Openssl create private key Openssl create private key](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126094386/199945416.png)
OpenSSL can generate several kinds of public/private keypairs.RSA is the most common kind of keypair generation.[1]
Other popular ways of generating RSA public key / private key pairs include PuTTYgen and ssh-keygen.[2][3]
Generate an RSA keypair with a 2048 bit private key[edit]
Execute command: 'openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -out private_key.pem -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2048'[4] (previously “openssl genrsa -out private_key.pem 2048”)
e.g.
Make sure to prevent other users from reading your key by executing chmod go-r private_key.pem afterward.
Extracting the public key from an RSA keypair[edit]
Execute command: 'openssl rsa -pubout -in private_key.pem -out public_key.pem'
e.g.
A new file is created, public_key.pem, with the public key.
It is relatively easy to do some cryptographic calculations to calculate the public key from the prime1 and prime2 values in the public key file.However, OpenSSL has already pre-calculated the public key and stored it in the private key file.So this command doesn't actually do any cryptographic calculation -- it merely copies the public key bytes out of the file and writes the Base64 PEM encoded version of those bytes into the output public key file.[5]
Viewing the key elements[edit]
Execute command: 'openssl rsa -text -in private_key.pem'
All parts of private_key.pem are printed to the screen. This includes the modulus (also referred to as public key and n), public exponent (also referred to as e and exponent; default value is 0x010001), private exponent, and primes used to create keys (prime1, also called p, and prime2, also called q), a few other variables used to perform RSA operations faster, and the Base64 PEM encoded version of all that data.[6](The Base64 PEM encoded version of all that data is identical to the private_key.pem file).
Password-less login[edit]
![Openssl Commands To Generate Private Key Openssl Commands To Generate Private Key](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126094386/860852336.jpg)
Often a person will set up an automated backup process that periodically backs up all the content on one 'working' computer onto some other 'backup' computer.
Because that person wants this process to run every night, even if no human is anywhere near either one of these computers, using a 'password-protected' private key won't work -- that person wants the backup to proceed right away, not wait until some human walks by and types in the password to unlock the private key.Many of these people generate 'a private key with no password'.[7]Some of these people, instead, generate a private key with a password,and then somehow type in that password to 'unlock' the private key every time the server reboots so that automated toolscan make use of the password-protected keys.[8][3]
Further reading[edit]
- ↑Key Generation
- ↑Michael Stahnke.'Pro OpenSSH'.p. 247.
- ↑ ab'SourceForge.net Documentation: SSH Key Overview'
- ↑'genpkey(1) - Linux man page'
- ↑'Public – Private key encryption using OpenSSL'
- ↑'OpenSSL 1024 bit RSA Private Key Breakdown'
- ↑'DreamHost: Personal Backup'.
- ↑Troy Johnson.'Using Rsync and SSH: Keys, Validating, and Automation'.
- Internet_Technologies/SSH describes how to use 'ssh-keygen' and 'ssh-copy-id' on your local machine so you can quickly and securely ssh from your local machine to a remote host.
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