RSA_generate_key(3) — Subroutines
NAME
RSA_generate_key − Generate RSA key pair
SYNOPSIS
#include <openssl/rsa.h>
RSA ∗RSA_generate_key(
int num,
unsigned long e,
void ((∗callback)(int,int,void ∗)),
void ∗cb_arg );
DESCRIPTION
The RSA_generate_key() function generates a key pair and returns it in a newly allocated RSA structure. The pseudo-random number generator must be seeded prior to calling RSA_generate_key().
The modulus size will be num bits, and the public exponent will be e. Key sizes with num < 1024 should be considered insecure. The exponent is an odd number, typically 3, 17 or 65537.
A callback function may be used to provide feedback about the progress of the key generation. If callback is not NULL, it will be called as follows:
•While a random prime number is generated, it is called as described in BN_generate_prime(3).
•When the n-th randomly generated prime is rejected as not suitable for the key, callback(2, n, cb_arg) is called.
•When a random p has been found with p-1 relatively prime to e, it is called as callback(3, 0, cb_arg).
The process is then repeated for prime q with callback(3, 1, cb_arg).
RESTRICTIONS
callback(2, x, cb_arg) is used with two different meanings.
The RSA_generate_key() function goes into an infinite loop for illegal input values.
RETURN VALUE
If key generation fails, RSA_generate_key() returns NULL; the error codes can be obtained by using the ERR_get_error() function.
HISTORY
The cb_arg argument was added in SSLeay 0.9.0.