OPENSSL-ENGINE(1ossl)

💅 NAME 💅

ok so like, this is openssl-engine(1ossl) — the OpenSSL manual page for openssl-engine, the command that loads and queries engines. bestie, it's here, it's documented, it's deprecated, we love that for it 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

openssl engine [-help] [-v] [-vv] [-vvv] [-vvvv] [-c] [-t] [-tt] [-pre
command] ...  [-post command] ...  [engine ...]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

⚠️ okay so first things first, and I need you to hear me: this command has been deprecated. Providers should be used instead of engines. That's not a vibe, that's just the facts 😭

So what does it do? It's used to query the status and capabilities of the specified engines. Literally just — checking in on them, seeing how they're doing 👑

The engines can be specified before and after all other command-line flags (yes, both, she's flexible like that). And only the ones you actually specify get queried. No sneaky background checks. Only those specified are queried. periodt 💅

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🦋 OPTIONS 🦋

• -help — displays an option summary. classic. iconic. she's helpful 🌈
• -v, -vv, -vvv, -vvvv — the verbosity ladder, highkey. Each one gives you info about each specified engine, and each level stacks on the last:
  • the first flag lists all the possible run-time control commands
  • the second adds a description of each command
  • the third adds the input flags
  • the final option adds the internal input flags

so like, -vvvv is the full lore drop. the whole backstory. the director's commentary 🔥

• -c — lists the capabilities of each engine. what she can do, what she brings to the group chat 💖
• -t — tests if each specified engine is available, and then displays the answer. like, it says it out loud. no guessing 🫶
• -tt — displays an error trace for any unavailable engine. pour one out for the ones that didn't make it 💀
• -pre command / -post *command** — command-line configuration of engines, bestie. The -precommand is given to the engine **before** it is loaded, and the-post` command is given **after the engine is loaded. Timing is everything 💅

The command is of the form cmd:val where cmd is the command, and val is the value for the command. See the example below for the visual learners ✨

These two options are cumulative, so they may be given more than once in the same command. stack 'em, queen 👑

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🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

ok so here's how you list all the commands available to a dynamic engine:

$ openssl engine -t -tt -vvvv dynamic
(dynamic) Dynamic engine loading support
     [ unavailable ]
     SO_PATH: Specifies the path to the new ENGINE shared library
          (input flags): STRING
     NO_VCHECK: Specifies to continue even if version checking fails (boolean)
          (input flags): NUMERIC
     ID: Specifies an ENGINE id name for loading
          (input flags): STRING
     LIST_ADD: Whether to add a loaded ENGINE to the internal list (0=no,1=yes,2=mandatory)
          (input flags): NUMERIC
     DIR_LOAD: Specifies whether to load from 'DIR_ADD' directories (0=no,1=yes,2=mandatory)
          (input flags): NUMERIC
     DIR_ADD: Adds a directory from which ENGINEs can be loaded
          (input flags): STRING
     LOAD: Load up the ENGINE specified by other settings
          (input flags): NO_INPUT

and here's how you list the capabilities of the rsax engine:

$ openssl engine -c
(rsax) RSAX engine support
 [RSA]
(dynamic) Dynamic engine loading support

🦋 look at that output. gorgeous. no notes.

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💜 ENVIRONMENT 💜

• OPENSSL_ENGINES — the path to the engines directory. that's where the engines live, bestie 🏠

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⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

• openssl(1)
• config(5)

iykyk 👑

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🌸 HISTORY 🌸

This command was deprecated in OpenSSL 3.0. we remember. we mourn. we move on to providers 🕯️

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👑 COPYRIGHT 👑

Copyright 2016-2020 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>.

fr fr read the license before you do anything, it's giving responsible main character energy 💅

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✨ that's the whole page, bestie ✨ — this masterpiece dropped in version 3.5.0, dated 2026-09-25, and it's brought to you by OPENSSL-ENGINE(1ossl). mwah 💖 🎀 🦋