SSL_CONF_CMD_ARGV(3ossl)

📦
version 3.5.9 · 8 versions
, in fedora 43, fedora 44

💖 SSL_CONF_CMD_ARGV 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because we're talking about SSL_CONF_cmd_argv — the little OpenSSL function that does your SSL configuration command line processing for you. this is page SSL_CONF_CMD_ARGV(3ossl) from the OpenSSL manual, and yes it's giving niche-but-iconic. let's get into it 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <openssl/ssl.h>

int SSL_CONF_cmd_argv(SSL_CONF_CTX *cctx, int *pargc, char ***pargv);

look at that signature. gorgeous. three params, no notes. 💅

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so, SSL_CONF_cmd_argv() processes at most two command line arguments, and it pulls them from pargv and pargc. (yes, at most two — she's not greedy, she knows her limits.)

and here's the cute part: the values of pargv and pargc get updated to reflect how many command options were actually processed. so you can just keep calling her and she keeps eating through your argv like it's a snack. 🔥

oh and — the pargc argument can be set to NULL if you're not using it. she doesn't need it, she's flexible like that. no cap.

👑 RETURN VALUES 👑

SSL_CONF_cmd_argv() returns the number of command arguments processed, which is one of: 0, 1, 2, or a negative error code. so basically she tells you exactly how many she ate.

  • if -2 is returned — an argument for a command is missing. someone forgot to bring the rest of the sentence to the function. tragic. 😭
  • if -1 is returned — the command is recognised but couldn't be processed because of an error: for example, a syntax error in the argument. she sees what you're going for, she just can't make it work. 💀
lowkey remember: negative = something went wrong. 0, 1, 2 = she's thriving. ⭐

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

go read these next, bestie, they're all connected:

💜 HISTORY 💜

these functions were added in OpenSSL 1.0.2. so she's been serving since way back. vintage icon behavior. 👑

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>.

fr fr, read the license before you go doing anything wild with this. 🫶

and that's the whole page!! this was OpenSSL version 3.5.9, dated 2026-09-29, page SSL_CONF_CMD_ARGV(3ossl) — thanks for reading, ily, now go process those argv's like the main character you are 🌈💖✨

📦 where this page comes from