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42 <div class="refentry" lang="en">
43 <a name="man.dnssec-keygen"></a><div class="titlepage"></div>
44 <div class="refnamediv">
46 <p><span class="application">dnssec-keygen</span> — DNSSEC key generation tool</p>
48 <div class="refsynopsisdiv">
50 <div class="cmdsynopsis"><p><code class="command">dnssec-keygen</code> {-a <em class="replaceable"><code>algorithm</code></em>} {-b <em class="replaceable"><code>keysize</code></em>} {-n <em class="replaceable"><code>nametype</code></em>} [<code class="option">-c <em class="replaceable"><code>class</code></em></code>] [<code class="option">-e</code>] [<code class="option">-f <em class="replaceable"><code>flag</code></em></code>] [<code class="option">-g <em class="replaceable"><code>generator</code></em></code>] [<code class="option">-h</code>] [<code class="option">-k</code>] [<code class="option">-p <em class="replaceable"><code>protocol</code></em></code>] [<code class="option">-r <em class="replaceable"><code>randomdev</code></em></code>] [<code class="option">-s <em class="replaceable"><code>strength</code></em></code>] [<code class="option">-t <em class="replaceable"><code>type</code></em></code>] [<code class="option">-v <em class="replaceable"><code>level</code></em></code>] {name}</p></div>
52 <div class="refsect1" lang="en">
53 <a name="id2605799"></a><h2>DESCRIPTION</h2>
54 <p><span><strong class="command">dnssec-keygen</strong></span>
55 generates keys for DNSSEC (Secure DNS), as defined in RFC 2535
56 and RFC 4034. It can also generate keys for use with
57 TSIG (Transaction Signatures), as defined in RFC 2845.
60 The <code class="option">name</code> of the key is specified on the command
61 line. For DNSSEC keys, this must match the name of the zone for
62 which the key is being generated.
65 <div class="refsect1" lang="en">
66 <a name="id2605819"></a><h2>OPTIONS</h2>
67 <div class="variablelist"><dl>
68 <dt><span class="term">-a <em class="replaceable"><code>algorithm</code></em></span></dt>
71 Selects the cryptographic algorithm. For DNSSEC keys, the value
72 of <code class="option">algorithm</code> must be one of RSAMD5, RSASHA1,
73 DSA, NSEC3RSASHA1, NSEC3DSA, RSASHA256 or RSASHA512.
74 For TSIG/TKEY, the value must
75 be DH (Diffie Hellman), HMAC-MD5, HMAC-SHA1, HMAC-SHA224,
76 HMAC-SHA256, HMAC-SHA384, or HMAC-SHA512. These values are
80 Note 1: that for DNSSEC, RSASHA1 is a mandatory to implement
81 algorithm, and DSA is recommended. For TSIG, HMAC-MD5 is
85 Note 2: HMAC-MD5 and DH automatically set the -k flag.
88 <dt><span class="term">-b <em class="replaceable"><code>keysize</code></em></span></dt>
90 Specifies the number of bits in the key. The choice of key
91 size depends on the algorithm used. RSA keys must be
92 between 512 and 2048 bits. Diffie Hellman keys must be between
93 128 and 4096 bits. DSA keys must be between 512 and 1024
94 bits and an exact multiple of 64. HMAC keys must be
95 between 1 and 512 bits.
97 <dt><span class="term">-n <em class="replaceable"><code>nametype</code></em></span></dt>
99 Specifies the owner type of the key. The value of
100 <code class="option">nametype</code> must either be ZONE (for a DNSSEC
101 zone key (KEY/DNSKEY)), HOST or ENTITY (for a key associated with
103 USER (for a key associated with a user(KEY)) or OTHER (DNSKEY).
104 These values are case insensitive. Defaults to ZONE for DNSKEY
107 <dt><span class="term">-c <em class="replaceable"><code>class</code></em></span></dt>
109 Indicates that the DNS record containing the key should have
110 the specified class. If not specified, class IN is used.
112 <dt><span class="term">-e</span></dt>
114 If generating an RSAMD5/RSASHA1 key, use a large exponent.
116 <dt><span class="term">-f <em class="replaceable"><code>flag</code></em></span></dt>
118 Set the specified flag in the flag field of the KEY/DNSKEY record.
119 The only recognized flag is KSK (Key Signing Key) DNSKEY.
121 <dt><span class="term">-g <em class="replaceable"><code>generator</code></em></span></dt>
123 If generating a Diffie Hellman key, use this generator.
124 Allowed values are 2 and 5. If no generator
125 is specified, a known prime from RFC 2539 will be used
126 if possible; otherwise the default is 2.
128 <dt><span class="term">-h</span></dt>
130 Prints a short summary of the options and arguments to
131 <span><strong class="command">dnssec-keygen</strong></span>.
133 <dt><span class="term">-k</span></dt>
135 Generate KEY records rather than DNSKEY records.
137 <dt><span class="term">-p <em class="replaceable"><code>protocol</code></em></span></dt>
139 Sets the protocol value for the generated key. The protocol
140 is a number between 0 and 255. The default is 3 (DNSSEC).
141 Other possible values for this argument are listed in
142 RFC 2535 and its successors.
144 <dt><span class="term">-r <em class="replaceable"><code>randomdev</code></em></span></dt>
146 Specifies the source of randomness. If the operating
147 system does not provide a <code class="filename">/dev/random</code>
148 or equivalent device, the default source of randomness
149 is keyboard input. <code class="filename">randomdev</code>
151 the name of a character device or file containing random
152 data to be used instead of the default. The special value
153 <code class="filename">keyboard</code> indicates that keyboard
154 input should be used.
156 <dt><span class="term">-s <em class="replaceable"><code>strength</code></em></span></dt>
158 Specifies the strength value of the key. The strength is
159 a number between 0 and 15, and currently has no defined
162 <dt><span class="term">-t <em class="replaceable"><code>type</code></em></span></dt>
164 Indicates the use of the key. <code class="option">type</code> must be
165 one of AUTHCONF, NOAUTHCONF, NOAUTH, or NOCONF. The default
166 is AUTHCONF. AUTH refers to the ability to authenticate
167 data, and CONF the ability to encrypt data.
169 <dt><span class="term">-v <em class="replaceable"><code>level</code></em></span></dt>
171 Sets the debugging level.
175 <div class="refsect1" lang="en">
176 <a name="id2607528"></a><h2>GENERATED KEYS</h2>
178 When <span><strong class="command">dnssec-keygen</strong></span> completes
180 it prints a string of the form <code class="filename">Knnnn.+aaa+iiiii</code>
181 to the standard output. This is an identification string for
182 the key it has generated.
184 <div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc">
185 <li><p><code class="filename">nnnn</code> is the key name.
187 <li><p><code class="filename">aaa</code> is the numeric representation
191 <li><p><code class="filename">iiiii</code> is the key identifier (or
195 <p><span><strong class="command">dnssec-keygen</strong></span>
196 creates two files, with names based
197 on the printed string. <code class="filename">Knnnn.+aaa+iiiii.key</code>
198 contains the public key, and
199 <code class="filename">Knnnn.+aaa+iiiii.private</code> contains the
204 The <code class="filename">.key</code> file contains a DNS KEY record
206 can be inserted into a zone file (directly or with a $INCLUDE
210 The <code class="filename">.private</code> file contains
212 fields. For obvious security reasons, this file does not have
213 general read permission.
216 Both <code class="filename">.key</code> and <code class="filename">.private</code>
217 files are generated for symmetric encryption algorithms such as
218 HMAC-MD5, even though the public and private key are equivalent.
221 <div class="refsect1" lang="en">
222 <a name="id2608865"></a><h2>EXAMPLE</h2>
224 To generate a 768-bit DSA key for the domain
225 <strong class="userinput"><code>example.com</code></strong>, the following command would be
228 <p><strong class="userinput"><code>dnssec-keygen -a DSA -b 768 -n ZONE example.com</code></strong>
231 The command would print a string of the form:
233 <p><strong class="userinput"><code>Kexample.com.+003+26160</code></strong>
236 In this example, <span><strong class="command">dnssec-keygen</strong></span> creates
237 the files <code class="filename">Kexample.com.+003+26160.key</code>
239 <code class="filename">Kexample.com.+003+26160.private</code>.
242 <div class="refsect1" lang="en">
243 <a name="id2608921"></a><h2>SEE ALSO</h2>
244 <p><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">dnssec-signzone</span>(8)</span>,
245 <em class="citetitle">BIND 9 Administrator Reference Manual</em>,
246 <em class="citetitle">RFC 2539</em>,
247 <em class="citetitle">RFC 2845</em>,
248 <em class="citetitle">RFC 4034</em>.
251 <div class="refsect1" lang="en">
252 <a name="id2608952"></a><h2>AUTHOR</h2>
253 <p><span class="corpauthor">Internet Systems Consortium</span>
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