OPENSSL-SPEED(1ossl)

📦
version 15.1 · 2 versions
, in freebsd 15.1

💖 NAME 💖

Okay so welcome to the OPENSSL-SPEED(1ossl) page, bestie 💅 — this is openssl-speed, and its whole thing is test library performance ✨.

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

openssl speed [-help] [-config filename] [-elapsed] [-evp algo] [-hmac
algo] [-cmac algo] [-mb] [-aead] [-kem-algorithms]
[-signature-algorithms] [-multi num] [-async_jobs num] [-misalign num]
[-decrypt] [-primes num] [-seconds num] [-bytes num] [-mr] [-mlock]
[-testmode] [-rand files] [-writerand file] [-engine id] [-provider
name] [-provider-path path] [-provparam [name:]key=value] [-propquery
propq] [algorithm ...]

🫶 DESCRIPTION 🫶

This command is used to test the performance of cryptographic algorithms. That’s the whole vibe: you point it at crypto stuff, and it tells you how fast that stuff goes 🔥.

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -help — Print out a usage message. Your little “what do I even do here” button 🫶.
  • -config filename — Specifies the configuration file to use. Optional; for a description of the default value, see "COMMAND SUMMARY" in openssl(1).
  • -elapsed — When calculating operations- or bytes-per-second, use wall-clock time instead of CPU user time as divisor. It can be useful when testing speed of hardware engines. Basically: real-world clock vibes instead of CPU-time vibes ⏰.
  • -evp algo — Use the specified cipher or message digest algorithm via the EVP interface. If algo is an AEAD cipher, then you can pass -aead to benchmark a TLS-like sequence. And if algo is a multi-buffer capable cipher, e.g. aes-128-cbc-hmac-sha1, then -mb will time multi-buffer operation.

To see the algorithms supported with this option, use "openssl list -digest-algorithms" or "openssl list -cipher-algorithms" command. Slay, now you know where to look 👀.

  • -multi num — Run multiple operations in parallel. Multitasking main character energy ✨.
  • -async_jobs num — Enable async mode and start specified number of jobs.
  • -misalign num — Misalign the buffers by the specified number of bytes. Chaos bytes, but on purpose 😭.
  • -hmac digest — Time the HMAC algorithm using the specified message digest.
  • -cmac cipher — Time the CMAC algorithm using the specified cipher e.g. "openssl speed -cmac aes128".
  • -decrypt — Time the decryption instead of encryption. Affects only the EVP testing. We’re going backwards today 🔙.
  • -mb — Enable multi-block mode on EVP-named cipher.
  • -aead — Benchmark EVP-named AEAD cipher in TLS-like sequence.
  • -kem-algorithms — Benchmark KEM algorithms: key generation, encapsulation, decapsulation. KEM girlies rise 🧚.
  • -signature-algorithms — Benchmark signature algorithms: key generation, signature, verification.
  • -primes num — Generate a num-prime RSA key and use it to run the benchmarks. This option is only effective if RSA algorithm is specified to test.
  • -seconds num — Run benchmarks for num seconds.
  • -bytes num — Run benchmarks on num-byte buffers. Affects ciphers, digests and the CSPRNG. The limit on the size of the buffer is INT_MAX - 64 bytes, which for a 32-bit int would be 2147483583 bytes. Huge but not infinite, bestie 💀.
  • -mr — Produce the summary in a mechanical, machine-readable, format. Robot-friendly, no vibes, just data 🤖.
  • -mlock — Lock memory into RAM for more deterministic measurements. Pinned down and cozy 🎀.
  • -testmode — Runs the speed command in testmode. Runs only 1 iteration of each algorithm test regardless of any -seconds value. In the event that any operation fails then the speed command will return with a failure result. Tiny test, very serious about failure 🚨.
  • -rand files — See "Random State Options" in openssl(1) for details.
  • -writerand file — See "Random State Options" in openssl(1) for details.
  • -engine id — See "Engine Options" in openssl(1). This option is deprecated. Old-school, and not in the cute vintage way ⚠️.
  • -provider name — See "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7).
  • -provider-path path — See "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7).
  • -provparam [name:]key=value — See "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7).
  • -propquery propq — See "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7).
  • algorithm ... — If any algorithm is given, then those algorithms are tested, otherwise a pre-compiled grand selection is tested. Give it names or let it choose the lineup 💅.

💀 BUGS 💀

Real talk, bestie: the algorithm can be selected only from a pre-compiled subset of things that the "openssl speed" command knows about. To test any additional digest or cipher algorithm supported by OpenSSL use the "-evp" option.

There is no way to test the speed of any additional public key algorithms supported by third party providers with the "openssl speed" command. That’s just the limit, no cap 😭.

🌈 HISTORY 🌈

  • The -engine option was deprecated in OpenSSL 3.0.
  • DSA512 was removed in OpenSSL 3.2.
  • The -testmode option was added in OpenSSL 3.4.

Copyright 2000-2024 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at <https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>.

okay bye bestie, mwah 💋 this page is from OpenSSL 3.5.6, dated 2026-04-07, and yes it’s the OPENSSL-SPEED(1ossl) manual 💖

📦 where this page comes from