How to use the command age-keygen (with examples)

The age-keygen command is used to generate key pairs for encryption and decryption in the age encryption tool. It is a convenient way to create keys for secure communication and file encryption. This article will illustrate two use cases of the age-keygen command.

Use case 1: Generate a key pair, save it to an unencrypted file, and print the public key to stdout

Code:

age-keygen --output path/to/file

Motivation:

Generating a key pair is the first step in secure communication using the age encryption tool. By providing the --output flag followed by the desired path and file name, we can save the key pair to an unencrypted file. Additionally, the public key is printed to the standard output (stdout), allowing for easy distribution.

Explanation:

• age-keygen: The command to generate age key pairs.
• --output path/to/file: Specifies the path and file name to save the key pair. Replace path/to/file with the desired location and file name.

Example output:

Private key written to /path/to/file
Public key:
AGE-KEY-1SKSRT77PN0J9KJJGP2TJ2H07TJA29WAXMD73TE9RTD2CLTTYN62NWSTHU7

Use case 2: Convert an identity to a recipient and print the public key to stdout

Code:

age-keygen -y path/to/file

Motivation:

Converting an identity to a recipient is useful when adding a new recipient for encrypted communication. By supplying an identity, the age-keygen command generates a new recipient key pair. Printing the public key to stdout allows this key to be shared with others for encryption.

Explanation:

• age-keygen: The command to generate age key pairs.
• -y path/to/file: Specifies the path to an identity file to be converted into a recipient key pair. Replace path/to/file with the actual file path.

Example output:

Public key:
AGE-KEY-1SZ4TJTRTKUEA6K06S04PTN24987ZNGPRHYCNYY6ZS0KTY44MZZW6VQUNUR

Conclusion:

The age-keygen command is a powerful tool for generating key pairs and converting identities to recipients in the age encryption tool. With the ability to save key pairs to files and print public keys to stdout, this command provides a seamless way to create secure communication channels.