nix key generate-secret

Warning: This program is experimental and its interface is subject to change.

# Name

`nix key generate-secret` - generate a secret key for signing store paths

# Synopsis

`nix key generate-secret` [option...]

# Examples

- Generate a new secret key:

      # nix key generate-secret --key-name cache.example.org-1 > ./secret-key

  We can then use this key to sign the closure of the Hello package:

      # nix build nixpkgs#hello
      # nix store sign --key-file ./secret-key --recursive ./result

  Finally, we can verify the store paths using the corresponding public key:

      # nix store verify --trusted-public-keys $(nix key convert-secret-to-public < ./secret-key) ./result

# Description

This command generates a new Ed25519 secret key for signing store paths and prints it on standard output. Use `nix key convert-secret-to-public` to get the corresponding public key for verifying signed store paths.

The mandatory argument `--key-name` specifies a key name (such as `cache.example.org-1). It is used to look up keys on the client when it verifies signatures. It can be anything, but it’s suggested to use the host name of your cache (e.g.` cache.example.org`) with a suffix denoting the number of the key (to be incremented every time you need to revoke a key).

# Format

Both secret and public keys are represented as the key name followed by a base-64 encoding of the Ed25519 key data, e.g.

    cache.example.org-0:E7lAO+MsPwTFfPXsdPtW8GKui/5ho4KQHVcAGnX+Tti1V4dUxoVoqLyWJ4YESuZJwQ67GVIksDt47og+tPVUZw==

# Options

- `--key-name` name
  Identifier of the key (e.g. `cache.example.org-1`).