[B<-name section>]
[B<-gencrl>]
[B<-revoke file>]
-[B<-subj arg>]
+[B<-status serial>]
+[B<-updatedb>]
+[B<-crl_reason reason>]
+[B<-crl_hold instruction>]
+[B<-crl_compromise time>]
+[B<-crl_CA_compromise time>]
[B<-crldays days>]
[B<-crlhours hours>]
[B<-crlexts section>]
[B<-md arg>]
[B<-policy arg>]
[B<-keyfile arg>]
+[B<-keyform PEM|DER>]
[B<-key arg>]
[B<-passin arg>]
[B<-cert file>]
+[B<-selfsign>]
[B<-in file>]
[B<-out file>]
[B<-notext>]
[B<-msie_hack>]
[B<-extensions section>]
[B<-extfile section>]
+[B<-engine id>]
+[B<-subj arg>]
+[B<-utf8>]
+[B<-multivalue-rdn>]
=head1 DESCRIPTION
specifies the configuration file to use.
+=item B<-name section>
+
+specifies the configuration file section to use (overrides
+B<default_ca> in the B<ca> section).
+
=item B<-in filename>
an input filename containing a single certificate request to be
=item B<-spkac filename>
a file containing a single Netscape signed public key and challenge
-and additional field values to be signed by the CA. See the B<NOTES>
-section for information on the required format.
+and additional field values to be signed by the CA. See the B<SPKAC FORMAT>
+section for information on the required input and output format.
=item B<-infiles>
the output file to output certificates to. The default is standard
output. The certificate details will also be printed out to this
-file.
+file in PEM format (except that B<-spkac> outputs DER format).
=item B<-outdir directory>
the private key to sign requests with.
+=item B<-keyform PEM|DER>
+
+the format of the data in the private key file.
+The default is PEM.
+
=item B<-key password>
the password used to encrypt the private key. Since on some
systems the command line arguments are visible (e.g. Unix with
the 'ps' utility) this option should be used with caution.
+=item B<-selfsign>
+
+indicates the issued certificates are to be signed with the key
+the certificate requests were signed with (given with B<-keyfile>).
+Certificate requests signed with a different key are ignored. If
+B<-spkac>, B<-ss_cert> or B<-gencrl> are given, B<-selfsign> is
+ignored.
+
+A consequence of using B<-selfsign> is that the self-signed
+certificate appears among the entries in the certificate database
+(see the configuration option B<database>), and uses the same
+serial number counter as all other certificates sign with the
+self-signed certificate.
+
=item B<-passin arg>
the key password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
-see the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)|openssl(1)>.
+see the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)>.
=item B<-verbose>
=item B<-md alg>
-the message digest to use. Possible values include md5, sha1 and mdc2.
+the message digest to use.
+Any digest supported by the OpenSSL B<dgst> command can be used.
This option also applies to CRLs.
=item B<-policy arg>
to be added when a certificate is issued (defaults to B<x509_extensions>
unless the B<-extfile> option is used). If no extension section is
present then, a V1 certificate is created. If the extension section
-is present (even if it is empty), then a V3 certificate is created.
+is present (even if it is empty), then a V3 certificate is created. See the:w
+L<x509v3_config(5)> manual page for details of the
+extension section format.
=item B<-extfile file>
(using the default section unless the B<-extensions> option is also
used).
+=item B<-engine id>
+
+specifying an engine (by its unique B<id> string) will cause B<ca>
+to attempt to obtain a functional reference to the specified engine,
+thus initialising it if needed. The engine will then be set as the default
+for all available algorithms.
+
+=item B<-subj arg>
+
+supersedes subject name given in the request.
+The arg must be formatted as I</type0=value0/type1=value1/type2=...>,
+characters may be escaped by \ (backslash), no spaces are skipped.
+
+=item B<-utf8>
+
+this option causes field values to be interpreted as UTF8 strings, by
+default they are interpreted as ASCII. This means that the field
+values, whether prompted from a terminal or obtained from a
+configuration file, must be valid UTF8 strings.
+
+=item B<-multivalue-rdn>
+
+This option causes the -subj argument to be interpreted with full
+support for multivalued RDNs. Example:
+
+I</DC=org/DC=OpenSSL/DC=users/UID=123456+CN=John Doe>
+
+If -multi-rdn is not used then the UID value is I<123456+CN=John Doe>.
+
=back
=head1 CRL OPTIONS
a filename containing a certificate to revoke.
-=item B<-subj arg>
+=item B<-status serial>
+
+displays the revocation status of the certificate with the specified
+serial number and exits.
+
+=item B<-updatedb>
+
+Updates the database index to purge expired certificates.
+
+=item B<-crl_reason reason>
+
+revocation reason, where B<reason> is one of: B<unspecified>, B<keyCompromise>,
+B<CACompromise>, B<affiliationChanged>, B<superseded>, B<cessationOfOperation>,
+B<certificateHold> or B<removeFromCRL>. The matching of B<reason> is case
+insensitive. Setting any revocation reason will make the CRL v2.
+
+In practice B<removeFromCRL> is not particularly useful because it is only used
+in delta CRLs which are not currently implemented.
+
+=item B<-crl_hold instruction>
+
+This sets the CRL revocation reason code to B<certificateHold> and the hold
+instruction to B<instruction> which must be an OID. Although any OID can be
+used only B<holdInstructionNone> (the use of which is discouraged by RFC2459)
+B<holdInstructionCallIssuer> or B<holdInstructionReject> will normally be used.
+
+=item B<-crl_compromise time>
-supersedes subject name given in the request
+This sets the revocation reason to B<keyCompromise> and the compromise time to
+B<time>. B<time> should be in GeneralizedTime format that is B<YYYYMMDDHHMMSSZ>.
+
+=item B<-crl_CA_compromise time>
+
+This is the same as B<crl_compromise> except the revocation reason is set to
+B<CACompromise>.
=item B<-crlexts section>
created, if the CRL extension section is present (even if it is
empty) then a V2 CRL is created. The CRL extensions specified are
CRL extensions and B<not> CRL entry extensions. It should be noted
-that some software (for example Netscape) can't handle V2 CRLs.
+that some software (for example Netscape) can't handle V2 CRLs. See
+L<x509v3_config(5)> manual page for details of the
+extension section format.
=back
=head1 CONFIGURATION FILE OPTIONS
-The options for B<ca> are contained in the B<ca> section of the
-configuration file. Many of these are identical to command line
+The section of the configuration file containing options for B<ca>
+is found as follows: If the B<-name> command line option is used,
+then it names the section to be used. Otherwise the section to
+be used must be named in the B<default_ca> option of the B<ca> section
+of the configuration file (or in the default section of the
+configuration file). Besides B<default_ca>, the following options are
+read directly from the B<ca> section:
+ RANDFILE
+ preserve
+ msie_hack
+With the exception of B<RANDFILE>, this is probably a bug and may
+change in future releases.
+
+Many of the configuration file options are identical to command line
options. Where the option is present in the configuration file
and the command line the command line value is used. Where an
option is described as mandatory then it must be present in
=item B<RANDFILE>
a file used to read and write random number seed information, or
-an EGD socket (see L<RAND_egd(3)|RAND_egd(3)>).
+an EGD socket (see L<RAND_egd(3)>).
=item B<default_days>
=item B<default_md>
-the same as the B<-md> option. The message digest to use. Mandatory.
+the same as the B<-md> option. Mandatory.
=item B<database>
the text database file to use. Mandatory. This file must be present
though initially it will be empty.
-=item B<serialfile>
+=item B<unique_subject>
+
+if the value B<yes> is given, the valid certificate entries in the
+database must have unique subjects. if the value B<no> is given,
+several valid certificate entries may have the exact same subject.
+The default value is B<yes>, to be compatible with older (pre 0.9.8)
+versions of OpenSSL. However, to make CA certificate roll-over easier,
+it's recommended to use the value B<no>, especially if combined with
+the B<-selfsign> command line option.
+
+=item B<serial>
a text file containing the next serial number to use in hex. Mandatory.
This file must be present and contain a valid serial number.
+=item B<crlnumber>
+
+a text file containing the next CRL number to use in hex. The crl number
+will be inserted in the CRLs only if this file exists. If this file is
+present, it must contain a valid CRL number.
+
=item B<x509_extensions>
the same as B<-extensions>.
the same as B<-policy>. Mandatory. See the B<POLICY FORMAT> section
for more information.
-=item B<nameopt>, B<certopt>
+=item B<name_opt>, B<cert_opt>
these options allow the format used to display the certificate details
when asking the user to confirm signing. All the options supported by
and cannot be disabled (this is because the certificate signature cannot
be displayed because the certificate has not been signed at this point).
-For convenience the values B<default_ca> are accepted by both to produce
+For convenience the values B<ca_default> are accepted by both to produce
a reasonable output.
If neither option is present the format used in earlier versions of
If you need to include the same component twice then it can be
preceded by a number and a '.'.
+When processing SPKAC format, the output is DER if the B<-out>
+flag is used, but PEM format if sending to stdout or the B<-outdir>
+flag is used.
+
=head1 EXAMPLES
Note: these examples assume that the B<ca> directory structure is
policy = policy_any # default policy
email_in_dn = no # Don't add the email into cert DN
- nameopt = default_ca # Subject name display option
- certopt = default_ca # Certificate display option
+ name_opt = ca_default # Subject name display option
+ cert_opt = ca_default # Certificate display option
copy_extensions = none # Don't copy extensions from request
[ policy_any ]
commonName = supplied
emailAddress = optional
-=head1 WARNINGS
-
-The B<ca> command is quirky and at times downright unfriendly.
-
-The B<ca> utility was originally meant as an example of how to do things
-in a CA. It was not supposed to be used as a full blown CA itself:
-nevertheless some people are using it for this purpose.
-
-The B<ca> command is effectively a single user command: no locking is
-done on the various files and attempts to run more than one B<ca> command
-on the same database can have unpredictable results.
-
=head1 FILES
Note: the location of all files can change either by compile time options,
to rebuild the index file from all the issued certificates and a current
CRL: however there is no option to do this.
-CRL entry extensions cannot currently be created: only CRL extensions
-can be added.
-
-V2 CRL features like delta CRL support and CRL numbers are not currently
-supported.
+V2 CRL features like delta CRLs are not currently supported.
Although several requests can be input and handled at once it is only
possible to include one SPKAC or self signed certificate.
numbers of certificates are present because, as the name implies
the database has to be kept in memory.
-It is not possible to certify two certificates with the same DN: this
-is a side effect of how the text database is indexed and it cannot easily
-be fixed without introducing other problems. Some S/MIME clients can use
-two certificates with the same DN for separate signing and encryption
-keys.
-
The B<ca> command really needs rewriting or the required functionality
exposed at either a command or interface level so a more friendly utility
-(perl script or GUI) can handle things properly. The scripts B<CA.sh> and
-B<CA.pl> help a little but not very much.
+(perl script or GUI) can handle things properly. The script
+B<CA.pl> helps a little but not very much.
Any fields in a request that are not present in a policy are silently
deleted. This does not happen if the B<-preserveDN> option is used. To
option can be used. The behaviour should be more friendly and
configurable.
-Cancelling some commands by refusing to certify a certificate can
+Canceling some commands by refusing to certify a certificate can
create an empty file.
=head1 WARNINGS
+The B<ca> command is quirky and at times downright unfriendly.
+
+The B<ca> utility was originally meant as an example of how to do things
+in a CA. It was not supposed to be used as a full blown CA itself:
+nevertheless some people are using it for this purpose.
+
+The B<ca> command is effectively a single user command: no locking is
+done on the various files and attempts to run more than one B<ca> command
+on the same database can have unpredictable results.
+
The B<copy_extensions> option should be used with caution. If care is
not taken then it can be a security risk. For example if a certificate
request contains a basicConstraints extension with CA:TRUE and the
B<copy_extensions> value is set to B<copyall> and the user does not spot
-this when the certificate is displayed then this will hand the requestor
+this when the certificate is displayed then this will hand the requester
a valid CA certificate.
This situation can be avoided by setting B<copy_extensions> to B<copy>
=head1 SEE ALSO
-L<req(1)|req(1)>, L<spkac(1)|spkac(1)>, L<x509(1)|x509(1)>, L<CA.pl(1)|CA.pl(1)>,
-L<config(5)|config(5)>
+L<req(1)>, L<spkac(1)>, L<x509(1)>, L<CA.pl(1)>,
+L<config(5)>, L<x509v3_config(5)>
=cut