strongSwan

h1. Setup a simple CA

This How-To sets up a Certificate Authority using the strongSwan [[IpsecPKI|PKI]] tool, keeping it as simple as possible.

h2. CA certificate

First, [[IpsecPKIGen|generate]] a private key, the default generates a 2048 bit RSA key:

<pre>

ipsec pki --gen > cakey.der

</pre>

For a real-world setup, make sure to keep this key private.

Now [[IpsecPKISelf|self-sign]] a CA certificate using the generated key:

<pre>

ipsec pki --self --in cakey.der --dn "C=CH, O=strongSwan, CN=CA" --ca > cacert.der

</pre>

Adjust the distinguished name to your needs, it will be included in all issued certificates.

That's it, your CA is ready to issue certificates.

h2. End entity certificates

For each peer, generate a private key and [[IpsecPKIIssue|issue]] a certificate using your new CA:

<pre>

ipsec pki --gen > peerkey.der

ipsec pki --pub --in peerkey.der | ipsec pki --issue --cacert cacert.der \

   --cakey cakey.der --dn "C=CH, O=strongSwan, CN=peer"

</pre>

The second command [[IpsecPKIPub|extracts the public key]] and issues a certificate using your CA. Distribute private key and certificate to your peer.