openssl-genpkey
generates private keys for various algorithms
TLDR
Generate RSA private key
$ openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -out [private.key] -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:[4096]
Generate EC private key$ openssl genpkey -algorithm EC -out [private.key] -pkeyopt ec_paramgen_curve:[P-256]
Generate Ed25519 key$ openssl genpkey -algorithm ED25519 -out [private.key]
Generate encrypted private key$ openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -out [private.key] -aes256
Generate with custom parameters$ openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -out [key.pem] -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2048 -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_pubexp:65537
SYNOPSIS
openssl genpkey [options]
DESCRIPTION
openssl genpkey generates private keys for various algorithms. It's the modern replacement for algorithm-specific commands like genrsa and ecparam.Supports RSA, EC, ED25519, ED448, X25519, X448, and more.
PARAMETERS
-algorithm alg
Key algorithm.-out file
Output file.-outform format
Output format (PEM, DER).-aes256, -aes128
Encrypt output.-pkeyopt opt:val
Algorithm options.-pass arg
Output passphrase.
ALGORITHM OPTIONS
$ RSA: rsa_keygen_bits, rsa_keygen_pubexp
EC: ec_paramgen_curve (P-256, P-384, secp256k1)
EC: ec_paramgen_curve (P-256, P-384, secp256k1)
INSTALL
sudo apt install openssl
sudo dnf install openssl
sudo pacman -S openssl
sudo apk add openssl
sudo zypper install openssl
brew install openssl
nix profile install nixpkgs#openssl
CAVEATS
Protect generated private keys. Use strong encryption for storage. ED25519 recommended for new applications.
HISTORY
genpkey was introduced as a unified key generation command, replacing older algorithm-specific commands in OpenSSL.
SEE ALSO
openssl-pkey(1), openssl-req(1), openssl-rsa(1)
