---
name: "openssl-gendsa"
section: "1ssl"
platform: "linux"
package: "openssl"
version: "3.6.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/openssl-gendsa"
---

# openssl-gendsa(1ssl)

generate a DSA private key from a set of parameters

## NAME

openssl-gendsa - generate a DSA private key from a set of parameters

## SYNOPSIS

**openssl** **gendsa** \[**-help**\] \[**-out** *filename*\] \[**-passout** *arg*\] \[**-aes128**\] \[**-aes192**\] \[**-aes256**\] \[**-aria128**\] \[**-aria192**\] \[**-aria256**\] \[**-camellia128**\] \[**-camellia192**\] \[**-camellia256**\] \[**-des**\] \[**-des3**\] \[**-idea**\] \[**-verbose**\] \[**-quiet**\] \[**-rand** *files*\] \[**-writerand** *file*\] \[**-engine** *id*\] \[**-provider** *name*\] \[**-provider-path** *path*\] \[**-provparam** *\[name:\]key=value*\] \[**-propquery** *propq*\] \[*paramfile*\]

## DESCRIPTION

This command generates a DSA private key from a DSA parameter file (which will be typically generated by the **openssl-dsaparam**(1) command).

## OPTIONS

- **-help**

  Print out a usage message.

- **-out** *filename*

  Output the key to the specified file. If this argument is not specified then standard output is used.

- **-passout** *arg*

  The passphrase used for the output file. See **openssl-passphrase-options**(1).

- **-aes128**, **-aes192**, **-aes256**, **-aria128**, **-aria192**, **-aria256**, **-camellia128**, **-camellia192**, **-camellia256**, **-des**, **-des3**, **-idea**

  These options encrypt the private key with specified cipher before outputting it. A pass phrase is prompted for. If none of these options is specified no encryption is used.

  Note that all options must be given before the *paramfile* argument.

- **-verbose**

  Print extra details about the operations being performed.

- **-quiet**

  Print fewer details about the operations being performed, which may be handy during batch scripts and pipelines.

- **-rand** *files*, **-writerand** *file*

  See "Random State Options" in [**openssl**(1)](/openssl/1.md) for details.

- **-engine** *id*

  See "Engine Options" in [**openssl**(1)](/openssl/1.md). This option is deprecated.

- *paramfile*

  The DSA parameter file to use. The parameters in this file determine the size of the private key. DSA parameters can be generated and examined using the **openssl-dsaparam**(1) command.

- **-provider** *name*

  - **-provider-path** *path*

  - **-provparam** *\[name:\]key=value*

  - **-propquery** *propq*

  See "Provider Options" in [**openssl**(1)](/openssl/1.md), **provider**(7), and **property**(7).

## NOTES

DSA key generation is little more than random number generation so it is much quicker that RSA key generation for example.

## SEE ALSO

[**openssl**(1)](/openssl/1.md), **openssl-genpkey**(1), **openssl-dsaparam**(1), **openssl-dsa**(1), **openssl-genrsa**(1), **openssl-rsa**(1)

## HISTORY

The **-engine** option was deprecated in OpenSSL 3.0.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2000-2023 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License").  You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.  You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at \<https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html\>.