---
name: "bupstash-keyfiles"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "bupstash"
version: "0.12.0-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bupstash-keyfiles"
---

# bupstash-keyfiles(7)

## SYNOPSIS

Overview of the bupstash key format.

## DESCRIPTION

Bupstash key files are PEM encoded with one of the following tags:

- •

  BUPSTASH KEY

- •

  BUPSTASH SUB KEY

-

  The binary data after decoding the PEM data consists of bare *https://baremessages.org/* key structures, described below.

Binary encoding of keys:

-

  ```
  type PrimaryKey {
      id: Data<16>,
      rollsum_key: Data<32>,
      data_hash_key_part_1: Data<32>,
      data_hash_key_part_2: Data<32>,
      data_pk: Data<32>,
      data_sk: Data<32>,
      data_psk: Data<32>,
      idx_hash_key_part_1: Data<32>,
      idx_hash_key_part_2: Data<32>,
      idx_pk: Data<32>,
      idx_sk: Data<32>,
      idx_psk: Data<32>,
      metadata_pk: Data<32>,
      metadata_sk: Data<32>,
      metadata_psk: Data<32>,
  }
  type SubKey {
      id: Data<16>,
      primary_key_id: Data<16>,
      rollsum_key: Option<Data<32>>,
      data_hash_key_part_1: Option<Data<32>>,
      data_hash_key_part_2: Option<Data<32>>,
      data_pk: Option<Data<32>>,
      data_sk: Option<Data<32>>,
      data_psk: Option<Data<32>>,
      idx_hash_key_part_1: Option<Data<32>>,
      idx_hash_key_part_2: Option<Data<32>>,
      idx_pk: Option<Data<32>>,
      idx_sk: Option<Data<32>>,
      idx_psk: Option<Data<32>>,
      metadata_pk: Option<Data<32>>,
      metadata_sk: Option<Data<32>>,
      metadata_psk: Option<Data<32>>,
  }
  type Key (PrimaryKey | SubKey)
  ```

-

  ```
  $ bupstash new-key -o bupstash.key
  $ cat bupstash.key
  # This file contains a cryptographic key used by 'bupstash' to encrypt and decrypt data.
  #
  # key-id=55f32e9db43a1fa3cf65bb3705230898
  -----BEGIN BUPSTASH KEY-----
  AFXzLp20Oh+jz2W7NwUjCJgS7VhqV37771UhSRo7LZUIxJCbEZkm27AcYylSL5T2
  bxAE4g0rukxRhloPqWT+s1Yr2cPNEHymMzJzm+V4QiDMzE4K4k548bsrMoQMGXc8
  LRpNiqVzwRRvibkdf9RdnyYPQ5IlvQN395YJVCfiD6nEOY90plDH20UgiGiNLRYK
  xH+MfIoFA1X59UFdto0B/CJW9R98OgQeJNP91NQloFA17mbzhqUvwnHDjatzkxht
  CJWScQm6PTwEFEYRSzLTWgpFXjnpF09quzZenw/jEn6nPAyjb11u+Ohe7pkfxacv
  QZ5qhBMqJ7+H3VpvOLW7mTmXL3T6gB5W7u2Lg6Y/AwkE
  -----END BUPSTASH KEY-----
  ```

## SEE ALSO

[bupstash(1)](/bupstash/1.md)