OPENSSL_INIT_SSL(3)

📦 version 4.4.0, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling

💅 OPENSSL_INIT_SSL 💅

okay so bestie, we're in libssl / libcrypto territory, the manual section OPENSSL_INIT_SSL(3), and the function is literally called OPENSSL_init_ssl — "initialise the crypto and ssl libraries". sounds iconic, right? plot twist: it's deprecated 🙈. buckle up.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

library “libssl” libcrypto #include <openssl/ssl.h>

int
OPENSSL_init_ssl(uint64_t options, const void *dummy);

that's the whole vibe. two args, one of them is literally named dummy 💀.

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so first thing, no cap: this function is deprecated. it's never useful for any application program to call it explicitly — like, at all, ever, not even a little. the library just automatically calls it internally with an options argument of 0 whenever it needs to. and honestly? it is safest to assume that any function may do so. any of them. your fave could pull up and call it behind your back. it's giving main character energy that everyone else is responsible for.

if you actually want to enable or disable the standard configuration file, don't do it here — use OPENSSL_config(3) or OPENSSL_no_config(3) instead, respectively. and if you're trying to load a non-standard configuration file, go check out CONF_modules_load_file(3). slay, different tool for a different job 💖

so what does OPENSSL_init_ssl() actually do? it calls OPENSSL_init_crypto(3), SSL_load_error_strings(3), and SSL_library_init(3). that's the whole roster 🫶

the options argument gets passed straight on to OPENSSL_init_crypto(3), and the dummy argument? completely ignored. not looked at, not cherished, nothing. it's just there. lowkey relatable 😭

and here's a little detail that matters: if this function is called more than once, none of the calls except the first one have any effect. first one ate, the rest are just standing there 💅

🔥 RETURN VALUES 🔥

OPENSSL_init_ssl() is intended to return 1 on success or 0 on error. note the word "intended" — that's the energy of a group project, ngl.

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

🎀 HISTORY 🎀

OPENSSL_init_ssl() first appeared in OpenSSL 1.1.0 and has been available since OpenBSD 6.3. a whole era 👑

💀 BUGS 💀

OPENSSL_init_ssl() silently ignores even more configuration failures than OPENSSL_init_crypto(3) does. like it's not just quiet, it's quiet-er. the silence is louder. do with that what you will 🙈

fr fr bestie, if you came here looking for something to call yourself: don't. it's deprecated, it happens on its own, and the first caller is the only one who gets to matter. periodt 💜

and that's the whole page, mwah 🍓 — this one's from the Debian edition of the manual, dated June 8, 2025, filed under OPENSSL_INIT_SSL(3). k byeeee ✨

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