OPENSSL-DSAPARAM(1ossl)

📦 version 3.5.0, in opensuse-leap 16.0

💅 OPENSSL-DSAPARAM(1ossl) — DSA Parameter Manipulation & Generation ✨

Okay so bestie, this is the openssl-dsaparam manual page — it's giving "I make and tweak DSA parameter files" energy, and honestly? It's lowkey iconic. Let's get into it. 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

openssl dsaparam [-help] [-inform DER|PEM] [-outform DER|PEM] [-in
filename] [-out filename] [-noout] [-text] [-genkey] [-verbose] [-quiet]
[-rand files] [-writerand file] [-engine id] [-provider name]
[-provider-path path] [-provparam [name:]key=value] [-propquery propq]
[numbits] [numqbits]

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

This command is literally here to manipulate or generate DSA parameter files. That's the whole vibe. 🫶

DSA parameter generation can be a slow process — like, not painfully slow, but definitely "go get a snack" slow — and as a result the same set of DSA parameters is often used to generate several distinct keys. So yeah, you generate once and reuse, which is a slay. ✨

🌸 OPTIONS 🌸

  • -help — prints out a usage message. Classic. 💅
  • -inform DER|PEM — the DSA parameters input format; unspecified by default. See openssl-format-options(1) for the deets.
  • -outform DER|PEM — the DSA parameters output format; default is PEM. See openssl-format-options(1) for the deets.

Parameters are a sequence of ASN.1 INTEGERs: p, q, and g. This is compatible with the RFC 2459 DSS-Parms structure. So if you were wondering what's inside, it's literally those three integers and that's the tea. 🍵

  • -in filename — specifies the input file to read parameters from, or standard input if this option isn't specified. If the numbits parameter is included, then this option will be ignored. Periodt.
  • -out filename — specifies the output file to write parameters to. Standard output is used if this option is not present. The output filename can be the same as the input filename, which leads to replacing the file contents.
⚠️ Note that file I/O is not atomic. The output file is truncated and then written. So like, don't @ me if something goes sideways mid-write — that's just how it is, bestie. 😭
  • -noout — inhibits the output of the encoded version of the parameters. Basically "don't print that part," and honestly sometimes that's the mood. 🙈
  • -text — prints out the DSA parameters in human readable form. For when you want to actually see what's going on instead of staring at encoded gibberish. 👑
  • -genkey — will generate a DSA either using the specified or generated parameters. It's giving "make me a key while you're at it." 🔥
  • -verbose — prints extra details about the operations being performed. For the girlies who need to know everything. 💜
  • -quiet — prints fewer details about the operations being performed, which may be handy during batch scripts and pipelines. Perfect for when you're in your silent main character era. 🦋
  • -rand files, -writerand file — see "Random State Options" in openssl(1) for details. Keeping it cute and documented elsewhere.
  • -engine id — see "Engine Options" in openssl(1). This option is deprecated. 👀 Like, it's still listed, but it's giving "old news." Don't build your whole personality around it.
  • numbits — this optional argument specifies that a parameter set should be generated of size numbits. If this argument is included then the input file (if any) is ignored. So it's either/or, no cap.
  • numqbits — this optional argument specifies that a parameter set should be generated with a subprime parameter q of size numqbits. It must be the last argument. If this argument is included then the input file (if any) is ignored. Also important: it has to be last, so don't try to sneak anything after it. 🫶
  • -provider name, -provider-path path, -provparam [name:]key=value, -propquery propq — see "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7). All the provider lore lives over there. 🌈

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

openssl(1), openssl-pkeyparam(1), openssl-gendsa(1), openssl-dsa(1), openssl-genrsa(1), openssl-rsa(1)

⭐ HISTORY ⭐

The -engine option was deprecated in OpenSSL 3.0.

The -C option was removed in OpenSSL 3.0. So if you were looking for it, it's gone, bestie. 💀

Copyright 2000-2023 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>.

✨ That's the whole page, bestie! ✨

This was manual page openssl-dsaparam(1ossl) from OpenSSL version 3.5.0, dated 2026-09-25. 🎀 Stay cryptographic, stay hydrated, and remember: parameters are a sequence of ASN.1 INTEGERs: p, q, and g. Iykyk. 💜

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