xref: /openssl/doc/man3/EVP_PKEY_CTX_new.pod (revision 8020d79b)
1=pod
2
3=head1 NAME
4
5EVP_PKEY_CTX_new, EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_id, EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_name,
6EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_pkey, EVP_PKEY_CTX_dup, EVP_PKEY_CTX_free,
7EVP_PKEY_CTX_is_a
8- public key algorithm context functions
9
10=head1 SYNOPSIS
11
12 #include <openssl/evp.h>
13
14 EVP_PKEY_CTX *EVP_PKEY_CTX_new(EVP_PKEY *pkey, ENGINE *e);
15 EVP_PKEY_CTX *EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_id(int id, ENGINE *e);
16 EVP_PKEY_CTX *EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_name(OSSL_LIB_CTX *libctx,
17                                          const char *name,
18                                          const char *propquery);
19 EVP_PKEY_CTX *EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_pkey(OSSL_LIB_CTX *libctx,
20                                          EVP_PKEY *pkey,
21                                          const char *propquery);
22 EVP_PKEY_CTX *EVP_PKEY_CTX_dup(const EVP_PKEY_CTX *ctx);
23 void EVP_PKEY_CTX_free(EVP_PKEY_CTX *ctx);
24 int EVP_PKEY_CTX_is_a(EVP_PKEY_CTX *ctx, const char *keytype);
25
26=head1 DESCRIPTION
27
28The EVP_PKEY_CTX_new() function allocates public key algorithm context using
29the I<pkey> key type and ENGINE I<e>.
30
31The EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_id() function allocates public key algorithm context
32using the key type specified by I<id> and ENGINE I<e>.
33
34The EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_name() function allocates a public key algorithm
35context using the library context I<libctx> (see L<OSSL_LIB_CTX(3)>), the
36key type specified by I<name> and the property query I<propquery>.  None
37of the arguments are duplicated, so they  must remain unchanged for the
38lifetime of the returned B<EVP_PKEY_CTX> or of any of its duplicates.  Read
39further about the possible names in L</NOTES> below.
40
41The EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_pkey() function allocates a public key algorithm
42context using the library context I<libctx> (see L<OSSL_LIB_CTX(3)>) and the
43algorithm specified by I<pkey> and the property query I<propquery>. None of the
44arguments are duplicated, so they must remain unchanged for the lifetime of the
45returned B<EVP_PKEY_CTX> or any of its duplicates.
46
47EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_id() and EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_name() are normally
48used when no B<EVP_PKEY> structure is associated with the operations,
49for example during parameter generation or key generation for some
50algorithms.
51
52EVP_PKEY_CTX_dup() duplicates the context I<ctx>. It is not supported for a
53keygen operation.
54
55EVP_PKEY_CTX_free() frees up the context I<ctx>.
56If I<ctx> is NULL, nothing is done.
57
58EVP_PKEY_is_a() checks if the key type associated with I<ctx> is I<keytype>.
59
60=head1 NOTES
61
62=head2 On B<EVP_PKEY_CTX>
63
64The B<EVP_PKEY_CTX> structure is an opaque public key algorithm context used
65by the OpenSSL high-level public key API. Contexts B<MUST NOT> be shared between
66threads: that is it is not permissible to use the same context simultaneously
67in two threads.
68
69=head2 On Key Types
70
71We mention "key type" in this manual, which is the same
72as "algorithm" in most cases, allowing either term to be used
73interchangeably.  There are algorithms where the I<key type> and the
74I<algorithm> of the operations that use the keys are not the same,
75such as EC keys being used for ECDSA and ECDH operations.
76
77Key types are given in two different manners:
78
79=over 4
80
81=item Legacy NID or EVP_PKEY type
82
83This is the I<id> used with EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_id().
84
85These are B<EVP_PKEY_RSA>, B<EVP_PKEY_RSA_PSS>, B<EVP_PKEY_DSA>,
86B<EVP_PKEY_DH>, B<EVP_PKEY_EC>, B<EVP_PKEY_SM2>, B<EVP_PKEY_X25519>,
87B<EVP_PKEY_X448>, and are used by legacy methods.
88
89=item Name strings
90
91This is the I<name> used with EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_name().
92
93These are names like "RSA", "DSA", and what's available depends on what
94providers are currently accessible.
95
96The OpenSSL providers offer a set of key types available this way, please
97see L<OSSL_PROVIDER-FIPS(7)> and L<OSSL_PROVIDER-default(7)> and related
98documentation for more information.
99
100=back
101
102=head1 RETURN VALUES
103
104EVP_PKEY_CTX_new(), EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_id() and EVP_PKEY_CTX_dup() return either
105the newly allocated B<EVP_PKEY_CTX> structure or B<NULL> if an error occurred.
106
107EVP_PKEY_CTX_free() does not return a value.
108
109EVP_PKEY_CTX_is_a() returns 1 for true and 0 for false.
110
111=head1 SEE ALSO
112
113L<EVP_PKEY_new(3)>
114
115=head1 HISTORY
116
117The EVP_PKEY_CTX_new(), EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_id(), EVP_PKEY_CTX_dup() and
118EVP_PKEY_CTX_free() functions were added in OpenSSL 1.0.0.
119
120The EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_name() and EVP_PKEY_CTX_new_from_pkey() functions were
121added in OpenSSL 3.0.
122
123=head1 COPYRIGHT
124
125Copyright 2006-2021 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.
126
127Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License").  You may not use
128this file except in compliance with the License.  You can obtain a copy
129in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at
130L<https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>.
131
132=cut
133