---
name: "mungekey"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "munge"
version: "0.5.18-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mungekey"
---

# mungekey(8)

MUNGE key management utility

## NAME

mungekey - MUNGE key management utility

## SYNOPSIS

**mungekey** \[**-c**\] \[**-b** *bits*\] \[**-f**\] \[**-k** *keyfile*\] \[**-v**\]\

## DESCRIPTION

The **mungekey** executable is the key management utility for MUNGE. It should be run by the same user that starts the **munged** daemon.

If no options are specified, **mungekey** will attempt to create a new key using the default settings; this will fail if the keyfile already exists.

All **munged** daemons within a security realm must use the same key. In other words, all hosts within an administrative group (or cluster) using MUNGE for authentication must use the same key; this keyfile can be created on one host and then securely copied to all other hosts.

## OPTIONS

- **-b, --bits** *integer*

  Specify the number of bits in the key being created \[256-8192\].

- **-c, --create**

  Create a new keyfile.

- **-f, --force**

  Force the keyfile to be overwritten if it already exists.

- **-h, --help**

  Display a summary of the command-line options.

- **-k, --keyfile** *path*

  Specify the keyfile pathname.

- **-L, --license**

  Display license information.

- **-v, --verbose**

  Be verbose.

- **-V, --version**

  Display version information.

## FILES

*/etc/munge/munge.key*

Contains the shared cryptographic key for hosts within the security realm.

## AUTHOR

Chris Dunlap \<cdunlap@llnl.gov\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2007-2025 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.\
 Copyright (C) 2002-2007 The Regents of the University of California.

MUNGE is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

Additionally for the MUNGE library (libmunge), you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

## SEE ALSO

[**munge**(1)](/munge/1.md), [**remunge**(1)](/remunge/1.md), [**unmunge**(1)](/unmunge/1.md), [**munge**(3)](/munge/3.md), [**munge\_ctx**(3)](/munge_ctx/3.md), [**munge\_enum**(3)](/munge_enum/3.md), [**munge**(7)](/munge/7.md), [**munged**(8)](/munged/8.md).

**https://github.com/dun/munge**