-help
Print out a usage message.
-informDER|PEM|P12|ENGINE
The key input format; unspecified by default. See openssl-format-options(1) for details.
-outformDER|PEM
The key output format; the default is PEM. See openssl-format-options(1) for details.
Private keys are an SEC1 private key or PKCS#8 format. Public keys are a SubjectPublicKeyInfo as
specified in IETF RFC 3280.
-infilename|uri
This specifies the input to read a key from or standard input if this option is not specified. If the
key is encrypted a pass phrase will be prompted for.
-outfilename
This specifies the output filename to write a key to or standard output by is not specified. If any
encryption options are set then a pass phrase will be prompted for. The output filename should not be
the same as the input filename.
-passinarg, -passoutarg
The password source for the input and output file. For more information about the format of arg see
openssl-passphrase-options(1).
-des|-des3|-idea
These options encrypt the private key with the DES, triple DES, IDEA or any other cipher supported by
OpenSSL before outputting it. A pass phrase is prompted for. If none of these options is specified
the key is written in plain text. This means that using this command to read in an encrypted key with
no encryption option can be used to remove the pass phrase from a key, or by setting the encryption
options it can be use to add or change the pass phrase. These options can only be used with PEM
format output files.
-text
Prints out the public, private key components and parameters.
-noout
This option prevents output of the encoded version of the key.
-param_out
Print the elliptic curve parameters.
-pubin
By default a private key is read from the input. With this option a public key is read instead. If
the input contains no public key but a private key, its public part is used.
-pubout
By default a private key is output. With this option a public key will be output instead. This option
is automatically set if the input is a public key.
-conv_formarg
This specifies how the points on the elliptic curve are converted into octet strings. Possible values
are: compressed, uncompressed (the default value) and hybrid. For more information regarding the
point conversion forms please read the X9.62 standard. Note Due to patent issues the compressed
option is disabled by default for binary curves and can be enabled by defining the preprocessor macro
OPENSSL_EC_BIN_PT_COMP at compile time.
-param_encarg
This specifies how the elliptic curve parameters are encoded. Possible value are: named_curve, i.e.
the ec parameters are specified by an OID, or explicit where the ec parameters are explicitly given
(see RFC 3279 for the definition of the EC parameters structures). The default value is named_curve.
Note the implicitlyCA alternative, as specified in RFC 3279, is currently not implemented in OpenSSL.
-no_public
This option omits the public key components from the private key output.
-check
This option checks the consistency of an EC private or public key.
-engineid
See "Engine Options" in openssl(1). This option is deprecated.
-providername-provider-pathpath-propquerypropq
See "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7).
The openssl-pkey(1) command is capable of performing all the operations this command can, as well as
supporting other public key types.