SSL_CONF_CTX_SET_FLAGS(3ossl)

💖 SSL_CONF_CTX_set_flags(3ossl) 💖

okay bestie, so this is a page from the OpenSSL manual — it's SSL_CONF_CTX_set_flags(3ossl), and it's all about flipping flags on and off in your SSL config context. tiny functions, big energy. let's go 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

SSL_CONF_CTX_set_flags, SSL_CONF_CTX_clear_flags — set or clear SSL configuration context flags, no cap 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <openssl/ssl.h>

unsigned int SSL_CONF_CTX_set_flags(SSL_CONF_CTX *cctx, unsigned int flags);
unsigned int SSL_CONF_CTX_clear_flags(SSL_CONF_CTX *cctx, unsigned int flags);

like, literally copy-paste those includes, she's important 💅

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so. SSL_CONF_CTX_set_flags() sets flags in the context cctx. that's it. that's the whole vibe. ✨

and SSL_CONF_CTX_clear_flags() clears flags in the context cctx. the duality of woman 😌

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🔥 NOTES 🔥

the flags you set? they affect how subsequent calls to SSL_CONF_cmd() or SSL_CONF_argv() behave. so set them before you do the thing, not after, iykyk.

currently the following flags values are recognised (and yes, "flags values", we don't make the rules):

• SSL_CONF_FLAG_CMDLINE, SSL_CONF_FLAG_FILE — recognise options intended for command line or configuration file use. At least one of these flags must be set. fr fr, minimum one, no skipping.
• SSL_CONF_FLAG_CLIENT, SSL_CONF_FLAG_SERVER — recognise options intended for use in SSL/TLS clients or servers. One or both of these flags must be set. one or both, pick your fighter 💪
• SSL_CONF_FLAG_CERTIFICATE — recognise certificate and private key options. 🎀
• SSL_CONF_FLAG_REQUIRE_PRIVATE — if this option is set then if a private key is not specified for a certificate it will attempt to load a private key from the certificate file when SSL_CONF_CTX_finish() is called. If a key cannot be loaded from the certificate file an error occurs. bestie that's a whole journey from certificate file to key, and it will error out if it can't find one 😭
• SSL_CONF_FLAG_SHOW_ERRORS — indicate errors relating to unrecognised options or missing arguments in the error queue. If this option isn't set such errors are only reflected in the return values of SSL_CONF_set_cmd() or SSL_CONF_set_argv(). so like, without it the tea is quiet — errors just show up in the return values and nowhere else 🙈

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💜 RETURN VALUES 💜

SSL_CONF_CTX_set_flags() and SSL_CONF_CTX_clear_flags() returns the new flags value after setting or clearing flags.

(grammar said "returns" for two functions, and honestly? she's iconic for that. periodt. 👑)

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• ssl(7)
• SSL_CONF_CTX_new(3)
• SSL_CONF_CTX_set_ssl_ctx(3)
• SSL_CONF_CTX_set1_prefix(3)
• SSL_CONF_cmd(3)
• SSL_CONF_cmd_argv(3)

go read the whole friend group, they're all connected 🧚

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⭐ HISTORY ⭐

These functions were added in OpenSSL 1.0.2. vintage behaviour, lowkey. 🦋

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🎀 COPYRIGHT 🎀

Copyright 2012-2016 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>.

bestie, real talk: "you may not use this file except in compliance with the License" — that's not a suggestion, that's the law, and we respect it 💅

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and that's the whole page, you ate it 🍓 mwah 💖

this was OpenSSL 3.5.9, dated 2026-09-29, from the OpenSSL manual pages — stay slaying, and remember to set your flags before you call the thing ✨