OPENSSL-CRL2PKCS7(1SSL)

📦
version 4.0.3 · 13 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 OPENSSL-CRL2PKCS7 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the openssl-crl2pkcs7 page from the OpenSSL manual set — this is the one that takes your CRL and your certs and bundles them into a cute little PKCS#7 moment. she's niche but she SERVES. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

openssl-crl2pkcs7 — Create a PKCS#7 structure from a CRL and certificates

like. that's the whole job. that's her whole personality and honestly? iconic.

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

openssl crl2pkcs7 [-help] [-inform DER|PEM] [-outform DER|PEM] [-in
filename] [-out filename] [-certfile filename] [-nocrl] [-provider name]
[-provider-path path] [-provparam [name:]key=value] [-propquery propq]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So here's the vibe: this command takes a CRL (optional, she's flexible 💅) plus one or more certificates, and converts the whole lil ensemble into a PKCS#7 degenerate "certificates only" structure. that's it. that's the mission. no signers, no drama, just certs (and maybe a CRL) living their best life inside a PKCS#7 container.

👑 OPTIONS 👑

  • -help — prints out a usage message. the "bestie help me" button. 🫶
  • -inform DER|PEM — the input format of the CRL. default is PEM, no cap. see openssl-format-options(1) for the deets.
  • -outform DER|PEM — the output format of the PKCS#7 object. default is PEM bestie. again, openssl-format-options(1) has the full story.
  • -in filename — says which input filename to read a CRL from. don't set it? she'll read from standard input, easy.
  • -out filename — where to write the PKCS#7 structure. default is standard output, lowkey convenient.
  • -certfile filename — a filename holding one or more certificates in PEM format. every single cert in that file gets added to the PKCS#7 structure. and you can use this option more than once to pull certs from multiple different files — she's not greedy, she's thorough. 🍓
  • -nocrl — normally a CRL is included in the output file. with this option, no CRL goes in the output file, and a CRL is not read from the input file either. double boundary. periodt.
  • -provider name — provider options, see below.
  • -provider-path path — provider options, see below.
  • -provparam [name:]key=value — provider options, see below.
  • -propquery propq — provider options, see below.

all four of those: see "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7). that's where the lore lives. 📚

🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

Create a PKCS#7 structure from a certificate and CRL:

openssl crl2pkcs7 -in crl.pem -certfile cert.pem -out p7.pem

Creates a PKCS#7 structure in DER format with no CRL from several different certificates:

openssl crl2pkcs7 -nocrl -certfile newcert.pem
       -certfile demoCA/cacert.pem -outform DER -out p7.der

see how she used -certfile twice in that second one? invested. committed. ate. ✨

💜 NOTES 💜

The output file is a PKCS#7 signed data structure containing no signers and just certificates and an optional CRL. yes bestie, "signed data" with zero signers — it's giving degenerate structure energy, that's the whole point. 🦋

This command can be used to send certificates and CAs to Netscape as part of the certificate enrollment process. That involves sending the DER encoded output as MIME type application/x-x509-user-cert. nostalgic era honestly.

The PEM encoded form with the header and footer lines removed can be used to install user certificates and CAs in MSIE using the Xenroll control. deeply retro, still true, we don't make the rules. 😭

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

openssl(1), openssl-pkcs7(1)

go read those too, they're the sequel, iykyk. 💅

Copyright 2000-2021 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>.

and that's the page bestie!! 🎀 this version was brought to you by OpenSSL 4.0.3, dated 2026-09-29, under the manual title OPENSSL-CRL2PKCS7(1SSL) — stay hydrated, read your licenses, and go make a PKCS#7 structure. mwah. 💖✨

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