SSL_SESSION_GET_TIME(3ossl)

🌸 SSL_SESSION_GET_TIME(3ossl) — like, the whole vibe of session time & timeouts 💅

okay bestie, welcome to the OpenSSL manual page for SSL_SESSION_get_time, SSL_SESSION_set_time, SSL_SESSION_get_timeout, SSL_SESSION_set_timeout, SSL_SESSION_get_time_ex, SSL_SESSION_set_time_ex, SSL_get_time, SSL_set_time, SSL_get_timeout, and SSL_set_timeout — that's a LOT of names but they're all doing the same cute little job: reading and poking at a session's time and timeout settings 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

SSL_SESSION_get_time, SSL_SESSION_set_time, SSL_SESSION_get_timeout, SSL_SESSION_set_timeout, SSL_SESSION_get_time_ex, SSL_SESSION_set_time_ex, SSL_get_time, SSL_set_time, SSL_get_timeout, SSL_set_timeout — retrieve and manipulate session time and timeout settings 🕰️

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <openssl/ssl.h>

long SSL_SESSION_get_timeout(const SSL_SESSION *s);
long SSL_SESSION_set_timeout(SSL_SESSION *s, long tm);

long SSL_get_timeout(const SSL_SESSION *s);
long SSL_set_timeout(SSL_SESSION *s, long tm);

time_t SSL_SESSION_get_time_ex(const SSL_SESSION *s);
time_t SSL_SESSION_set_time_ex(SSL_SESSION *s, time_t tm);

okay so the following functions have been deprecated since OpenSSL 3.4 😭 and you can hide them entirely by defining OPENSSL_API_COMPAT with a suitable version value — see openssl_user_macros(7) for the deets:

long SSL_SESSION_get_time(const SSL_SESSION *s);
long SSL_SESSION_set_time(SSL_SESSION *s, long tm);
long SSL_get_time(const SSL_SESSION *s);
long SSL_set_time(SSL_SESSION *s, long tm);

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

SSL_SESSION_get_time_ex() returns the time at which the session s was established, periodt. The time is given in seconds since the Epoch, so it's literally compatible with the time delivered by the time() call ⏰✨

SSL_SESSION_set_time_ex() replaces the creation time of the session s with the chosen value tm. your session, your rules 🫶

SSL_SESSION_get_timeout() returns the timeout value set for session s, in seconds ⏳

SSL_SESSION_set_timeout() sets the timeout value for session s, in seconds, to tm. slay 💅

SSL_SESSION_get_time() and SSL_SESSION_set_time() use the long datatype instead of time_t, and are therefore deprecated because they're not Y2038-safe on 32 bit systems 😬 note that such systems still need to be configured to use 64 bit time_t to be able to avoid overflow in system time — no cap, that part matters.

The SSL_get_time(), SSL_set_time(), SSL_get_timeout(), and SSL_set_timeout() functions are synonyms for the SSL_SESSION_*() counterparts. same energy, different name, iykyk 💫

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🌈 NOTES 🌈

Sessions get expired by examining the creation time and the timeout value 👀 Both are set at creation time of the session — to the actual time and the default timeout value at creation, respectively — as set by SSL_CTX_set_timeout(3). Using these functions it's possible to extend or shorten the lifetime of the session. main character energy: you decide how long the vibe lasts 👑

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⭐ RETURN VALUES ⭐

• SSL_SESSION_get_time_ex() and SSL_SESSION_get_timeout() return the currently valid values 💯
• SSL_SESSION_set_time_ex() returns time on success ✨
• SSL_SESSION_set_timeout() returns 1 on success 🎉
• If any of the functions is passed the NULL pointer for the session s, 0 is returned 🙈

fr fr, if s is NULL you're getting a fat 0 back — that's your vibe check failing 💀

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💀 BUGS 💀

The data type long is typically 32 bits on many systems, hence the old functions SSL_SESSION_get_time() and SSL_SESSION_set_time() are not always Y2038 safe 😭 like, they're trying their best but the clock is not on their side.

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

ssl(7), SSL_CTX_set_timeout(3), SSL_get_default_timeout(3) — go read those next, bestie, they're iconic 👑

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🧚 HISTORY 🧚

The functions SSL_SESSION_get_time_ex() and SSL_SESSION_set_time_ex() were added in OpenSSL 3.3 ✨ (yes, the _ex girlies are the new ones 💅)

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

Copyright 2001-2024 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>.

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and that's the whole page, bestie 🎀💖✨ this little masterpiece dropped as part of 3.5.6, dated 2026-04-07, and it lives under the name SSL_SESSION_GET_TIME(3ossl) — go forth and manage your session timeouts responsibly, mwah 🫶🌸