PKCS12_INIT(3ossl)

📦
version 15.1 · 2 versions
, in freebsd 15.1

💖 PKCS12_INIT 💖

okay so bestie, this is the OpenSSL 3ossl girlie manual for PKCS12_init and PKCS12_init_ex — the two functions that spin up a fresh, empty PKCS#12 structure for you. like a brand new blank canvas but make it cryptography ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

PKCS12_init, PKCS12_init_ex — literally just creating a shiny new empty PKCS#12 structure, no cap 🫶

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <openssl/pkcs12.h>

PKCS12 *PKCS12_init(int mode);
PKCS12 *PKCS12_init_ex(int mode, OSSL_LIB_CTX *ctx, const char *propq);

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

okay so PKCS12_init() creates an empty PKCS#12 structure. that's it, that's the vibe 💅

here's the part you actually need to know though: any PKCS#7 authSafes you add to this structure get enclosed first within a single PKCS#7 contentInfo of type mode. and rn the only supported type is NID_pkcs7_data — that's the whole menu, bestie, nothing else is on it 🍓

PKCS12_init_ex() also creates an empty PKCS#12 structure, but it additionally assigns the supplied ctx and propq to be used to select algorithm implementations for operations performed on the PKCS12 object. so like, you're picking which algorithm implementation roster shows up to the party 🧚

⭐ RETURN VALUES ⭐

PKCS12_init() and PKCS12_init_ex() return a valid PKCS12 structure, or NULL if an error occurred. that's it — valid struct or NULL, no in-between, no situationships 😭

fr fr always check for NULL before you go using the thing, ok bestie? 💀

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

💜 HISTORY 💜

PKCS12_init_ex() was added in OpenSSL 3.0. so if you're on something older, she simply does not exist yet — periodt ✨

Copyright 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 whole page, bestie 🫶 this was 3.5.6, dated 2026-04-07, and it's the PKCS12_INIT(3ossl) page — mwah, go forth and init responsibly 💅🎀🦋

📦 where this page comes from