= createsignerkey: create signer key on authentication server

== SYNOPSIS

*auth/createsignerkey* [ **-a**__ alg__ ] [ **-f**__ keyfile__ ] [
**-e**__ expiry__ ] [ **-b**__ bitsize__ ] _name_


_Createsignerkey_ creates public and private keys that are used by a
server acting as `signer' to generate certificates for users. _Name_
appears as signer in each certificate. The _expiry_ date has the form
_ddmmyyyy_, is converted to seconds since the epoch (see _daytime_(2))
and stored in the _keyfile_; by default the server's certificate never
expires.

The key will be _bitsize_ long (default: 512 bits) with a minimum of 32
bits and a maximum of 4096 bits. _Keyfile_ is the file in which the
server stores its keys; the default is */keydb/signerkey*, and many
authentication programs such as _logind_(8) by default expect to find
their server key there. Creating a signer's default key afresh typically
invalidates all certificates previously issued by that signer, because
their signatures will not verify. The mode of the _keyfile_ should be
set to be readable only by the user running those programs.

The *-a* option specifies the signature algorithm. Currently _alg_ can
be either *elgamal* or *rsa*. RSA keys are now used by default.

== FILES

*/keydb/signerkey*

== SOURCE

*/appl/cmd/auth/createsignerkey.b*

== SEE ALSO

_security-auth_(2), _keyring-gensk_(2), _logind_(8), _signer_(8)