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config(5)




CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)


NAME

     config - OpenSSL CONF library configuration files


DESCRIPTION

     The OpenSSL CONF library can be used to read configuration
     files.  It is used for the OpenSSL master configuration file
     openssl.cnf and in a few other places like SPKAC files and
     certificate extension files for the x509 utility. OpenSSL
     applications can also use the CONF library for their own
     purposes.

     A configuration file is divided into a number of sections.
     Each section starts with a line [ section_name ] and ends
     when a new section is started or end of file is reached. A
     section name can consist of alphanumeric characters and
     underscores.

     The first section of a configuration file is special and is
     referred to as the default section. This section is usually
     unnamed and spans from the start of file until the first
     named section. When a name is being looked up it is first
     looked up in a named section (if any) and then the default
     section.

     The environment is mapped onto a section called ENV.

     Comments can be included by preceding them with the #
     character

     Each section in a configuration file consists of a number of
     name and value pairs of the form name=value

     The name string can contain any alphanumeric characters as
     well as a few punctuation symbols such as . , ; and _.

     The value string consists of the string following the =
     character until end of line with any leading and trailing
     white space removed.

     The value string undergoes variable expansion. This can be
     done by including the form $var or ${var}: this will
     substitute the value of the named variable in the current
     section. It is also possible to substitute a value from
     another section using the syntax $section::name or
     ${section::name}. By using the form $ENV::name environment
     variables can be substituted. It is also possible to assign
     values to environment variables by using the name ENV::name,
     this will work if the program looks up environment variables
     using the CONF library instead of calling ggeetteennvv(()) directly.
     The value string must not exceed 64k in length after
     variable expansion. Otherwise an error will occur.

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CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)

     It is possible to escape certain characters by using any
     kind of quote or the \ character. By making the last
     character of a line a \ a value string can be spread across
     multiple lines. In addition the sequences \n, \r, \b and \t
     are recognized.


OPENSSL LIBRARY CONFIGURATION

     In OpenSSL 0.9.7 and later applications can automatically
     configure certain aspects of OpenSSL using the master
     OpenSSL configuration file, or optionally an alternative
     configuration file. The openssl utility includes this
     functionality: any sub command uses the master OpenSSL
     configuration file unless an option is used in the sub
     command to use an alternative configuration file.

     To enable library configuration the default section needs to
     contain an appropriate line which points to the main
     configuration section. The default name is openssl_conf
     which is used by the openssl utility. Other applications may
     use an alternative name such as myapplicaton_conf.

     The configuration section should consist of a set of name
     value pairs which contain specific module configuration
     information. The name represents the name of the
     configuration module the meaning of the value is module
     specific: it may, for example, represent a further
     configuration section containing configuration module
     specific information. E.g.

      openssl_conf = openssl_init

      [openssl_init]

      oid_section = new_oids
      engines = engine_section

      [new_oids]

      ... new oids here ...

      [engine_section]

      ... engine stuff here ...

     The features of each configuration module are described
     below.

     ASN1 OBJECT CONFIGURATION MODULE

     This module has the name oid_section. The value of this
     variable points to a section containing name value pairs of
     OIDs: the name is the OID short and long name, the value is

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CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)

     the numerical form of the OID. Although some of the openssl
     utility sub commands already have their own ASN1 OBJECT
     section functionality not all do. By using the ASN1 OBJECT
     configuration module all the openssl utility sub commands
     can see the new objects as well as any compliant
     applications. For example:

      [new_oids]

      some_new_oid = 1.2.3.4
      some_other_oid = 1.2.3.5

     In OpenSSL 0.9.8 it is also possible to set the value to the
     long name followed by a comma and the numerical OID form.
     For example:

      shortName = some object long name, 1.2.3.4

     ENGINE CONFIGURATION MODULE

     This ENGINE configuration module has the name engines. The
     value of this variable points to a section containing
     further ENGINE configuration information.

     The section pointed to by engines is a table of engine names
     (though see engine_id below) and further sections containing
     configuration information specific to each ENGINE.

     Each ENGINE specific section is used to set default
     algorithms, load dynamic, perform initialization and send
     ctrls. The actual operation performed depends on the command
     name which is the name of the name value pair. The currently
     supported commands are listed below.

     For example:

      [engine_section]

      # Configure ENGINE named "foo"
      foo = foo_section
      # Configure ENGINE named "bar"
      bar = bar_section

      [foo_section]
      ... foo ENGINE specific commands ...

      [bar_section]
      ... "bar" ENGINE specific commands ...

     The command engine_id is used to give the ENGINE name. If
     used this command must be first. For example:

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CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)

      [engine_section]
      # This would normally handle an ENGINE named "foo"
      foo = foo_section

      [foo_section]
      # Override default name and use "myfoo" instead.
      engine_id = myfoo

     The command dynamic_path loads and adds an ENGINE from the
     given path. It is equivalent to sending the ctrls SO_PATH
     with the path argument followed by LIST_ADD with value 2 and
     LOAD to the dynamic ENGINE. If this is not the required
     behaviour then alternative ctrls can be sent directly to the
     dynamic ENGINE using ctrl commands.

     The command init determines whether to initialize the
     ENGINE. If the value is 0 the ENGINE will not be
     initialized, if 1 and attempt it made to initialized the
     ENGINE immediately. If the init command is not present then
     an attempt will be made to initialize the ENGINE after all
     commands in its section have been processed.

     The command default_algorithms sets the default algorithms
     an ENGINE will supply using the functions
     EENNGGIINNEE_sseett_ddeeffaauulltt_ssttrriinngg(())

     If the name matches none of the above command names it is
     assumed to be a ctrl command which is sent to the ENGINE.
     The value of the command is the argument to the ctrl
     command. If the value is the string EMPTY then no value is
     sent to the command.

     For example:

      [engine_section]

      # Configure ENGINE named "foo"
      foo = foo_section

      [foo_section]
      # Load engine from DSO
      dynamic_path = /some/path/fooengine.so
      # A foo specific ctrl.
      some_ctrl = some_value
      # Another ctrl that doesn't take a value.
      other_ctrl = EMPTY
      # Supply all default algorithms
      default_algorithms = ALL

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CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)

     EVP CONFIGURATION MODULE

     This modules has the name alg_section which points to a
     section containing algorithm commands.

     Currently the only algorithm command supported is fips_mode
     whose value should be a boolean string such as on or off. If
     the value is on this attempt to enter FIPS mode. If the call
     fails or the library is not FIPS capable then an error
     occurs.

     For example:

      alg_section = evp_settings

      [evp_settings]

      fips_mode = on


NOTES

     If a configuration file attempts to expand a variable that
     doesn't exist then an error is flagged and the file will not
     load. This can happen if an attempt is made to expand an
     environment variable that doesn't exist. For example in a
     previous version of OpenSSL the default OpenSSL master
     configuration file used the value of HOME which may not be
     defined on non Unix systems and would cause an error.

     This can be worked around by including a default section to
     provide a default value: then if the environment lookup
     fails the default value will be used instead. For this to
     work properly the default value must be defined earlier in
     the configuration file than the expansion. See the EXAMPLES
     section for an example of how to do this.

     If the same variable exists in the same section then all but
     the last value will be silently ignored. In certain
     circumstances such as with DNs the same field may occur
     multiple times. This is usually worked around by ignoring
     any characters before an initial . e.g.

      1.OU="My first OU"
      2.OU="My Second OU"


EXAMPLES

     Here is a sample configuration file using some of the
     features mentioned above.

      # This is the default section.

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CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)

      HOME=/temp
      RANDFILE= ${ENV::HOME}/.rnd
      configdir=$ENV::HOME/config

      [ section_one ]

      # We are now in section one.

      # Quotes permit leading and trailing whitespace
      any = " any variable name "

      other = A string that can \
      cover several lines \
      by including \\ characters

      message = Hello World\n

      [ section_two ]

      greeting = $section_one::message

     This next example shows how to expand environment variables
     safely.

     Suppose you want a variable called tmpfile to refer to a
     temporary filename. The directory it is placed in can
     determined by the the TEMP or TMP environment variables but
     they may not be set to any value at all. If you just include
     the environment variable names and the variable doesn't
     exist then this will cause an error when an attempt is made
     to load the configuration file. By making use of the default
     section both values can be looked up with TEMP taking
     priority and /tmp used if neither is defined:

      TMP=/tmp
      # The above value is used if TMP isn't in the environment
      TEMP=$ENV::TMP
      # The above value is used if TEMP isn't in the environment
      tmpfile=${ENV::TEMP}/tmp.filename

     Simple OpenSSL library configuration example to enter FIPS
     mode:

      # Default appname: should match "appname" parameter (if any)
      # supplied to CONF_modules_load_file et al.
      openssl_conf = openssl_conf_section

      [openssl_conf_section]
      # Configuration module list
      alg_section = evp_sect

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CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)

      [evp_sect]
      # Set to "yes" to enter FIPS mode if supported
      fips_mode = yes

     Note: in the above example you will get an error in non FIPS
     capable versions of OpenSSL.

     More complex OpenSSL library configuration. Add OID and
     don't enter FIPS mode:

      # Default appname: should match "appname" parameter (if any)
      # supplied to CONF_modules_load_file et al.
      openssl_conf = openssl_conf_section

      [openssl_conf_section]
      # Configuration module list
      alg_section = evp_sect
      oid_section = new_oids

      [evp_sect]
      # This will have no effect as FIPS mode is off by default.
      # Set to "yes" to enter FIPS mode, if supported
      fips_mode = no

      [new_oids]
      # New OID, just short name
      newoid1 = 1.2.3.4.1
      # New OID shortname and long name
      newoid2 = New OID 2 long name, 1.2.3.4.2

     The above examples can be used with with any application
     supporting library configuration if "openssl_conf" is
     modified to match the appropriate "appname".

     For example if the second sample file above is saved to
     "example.cnf" then the command line:

      OPENSSL_CONF=example.cnf openssl asn1parse -genstr OID:1.2.3.4.1

     will output:

         0:d=0  hl=2 l=   4 prim: OBJECT            :newoid1

     showing that the OID "newoid1" has been added as
     "1.2.3.4.1".


BUGS

     Currently there is no way to include characters using the
     octal \nnn form. Strings are all null terminated so nulls
     cannot form part of the value.

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CONFIG(5)                    OpenSSL                    CONFIG(5)

     The escaping isn't quite right: if you want to use sequences
     like \n you can't use any quote escaping on the same line.

     Files are loaded in a single pass. This means that an
     variable expansion will only work if the variables
     referenced are defined earlier in the file.


SEE ALSO

     x509(1), req(1), ca(1)

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