---
name: "SPKI"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "lsh-doc"
version: "2.1-13"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/SPKI"
---

# SPKI(5)

Simple Public Key Infrastructure formats

## NAME

SPKI - Simple Public Key Infrastructure formats

## DESCRIPTION

The IETF Simple Public Key Infrastructure Working Group has defined a format for storing, transmitting and manipulating certificates to support security in a wide range of Internet applications which will require the use of public key certificates.

For the definition of the SPKI format, please refer to **\[SPKI\]**.

The format of SPKI objects is a simplified form of S-expression. An S-expression is a list enclosed in matching "(" and ")", similar to the recursive list data structure in of the LISP and Scheme programming languages.

## Canonical S-expression

A canonical S-expression is a unique representation of an S-expression  which may contain arbitrary binary byte strings. For transport over a 7-bit channel, it may be base64 (see  **\[RFC2045\]**) encoded.

## Advanced S-expression

The advanced S-expression format is a complexer form of an S-expression which is not necessarily unique. It is more suited for human reading than the canonical S-expression format.

## EXAMPLE

Examples SPKI certificates can be found in  **\[SPKI\]**.

## REFERENCES

- \<URL:http://www.clark.net/pub/cme/html/spki.html\>

  Home-page of the IETF SPKI working group.

- \<URL:http://theory.lcs.mit.edu/~rivest/sexp.html\>

  Home-page of the S-expression technology.

Carl M. Ellison, *SPKI Requirements*, Internet draft,

```
<URL:http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-spki-cert-req-02.txt>,
```

24 October 1998.

**\[SPKI\]** Carl M. Ellison, Bill Frantz, Butler Lampson, Ron Rivest, Brian M. Thomas and Tatu Ylonen, *Simple Public Key Certificate*, Internet draft (expired),

```
<URL:http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-spki-cert-structure-05.txt>,
```

13 March 1998.

Carl M. Ellison, Bill Frantz, Butler Lampson, Ron Rivest, Brian M. Thomas and Tatu Ylonen, *SPKI Certificate Theory*, Internet draft,

```
<URL:http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-spki-cert-theory-04.txt>,
```

17 November 1998.

Carl M. Ellison, Bill Frantz, Butler Lampson, Ron Rivest, Brian M. Thomas and Tatu Ylonen, *SPKI Examples*, Internet draft (expired),

```
<URL:http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-spki-cert-examples-01.txt>,
```

10 March 1998.

**\[RFC2045\]** N. Freed and N. Borenstein, *Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part One:* *Format of Internet Message Bodies*, 2 December 1996.

## AUTHOR

This man-page was written by J.H.M. Dassen (Ray) \<jdassen@wi.LeidenUniv.nl\>.

## SEE ALSO

**lsh\_keygen**(1)