Common Java Keytool Keystore Commands

Java Keytool Commands for Creating and Importing keystore files:

These commands allow you to generate a new Java Keytool keystore file, create a CSR, and import certificates. Any root or intermediate certificates will need to be imported before importing the primary certificate for your domain.

Generate a Java keystore and key pair

keytool -genkey -alias mydomain -keyalg RSA -keystore keystore.jks  -keysize 2048

Generate a certificate signing request (CSR) for an existing Java keystore

keytool -certreq -alias mydomain -keystore keystore.jks -file mydomain.csr

Import a root or intermediate CA certificate to an existing Java keystore

keytool -import -trustcacerts -alias root -file Thawte.crt -keystore keystore.jks

Import a signed primary certificate to an existing Java keystore

keytool -import -trustcacerts -alias mydomain -file mydomain.crt -keystore keystore.jks

Generate a keystore and self-signed certificate

keytool -genkey -keyalg RSA -alias selfsigned -keystore keystore.jks -storepass password -validity 360 -keysize 2048

Java Keytool Commands for Validation of Keys

If you need to check the information within a certificate, or Java keystore, use these commands.

Check a stand-alone certificate

keytool -printcert -v -file mydomain.crt

Check which certificates are in a Java keystore

keytool -list -v -keystore keystore.jks

Check a particular keystore entry using an alias

keytool -list -v -keystore keystore.jks -alias mydomain

Other Useful Java Keytool Commands

Delete a certificate from a Java Keytool keystore

keytool -delete -alias mydomain -keystore keystore.jks

Change a Java keystore password

keytool -storepasswd -new new_storepass -keystore keystore.jks

Export a certificate from a keystore

keytool -export -alias mydomain -file mydomain.crt -keystore keystore.jks

List Trusted CA Certs

keytool -list -v -keystore $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security/cacerts

Import New CA into Trusted Certs

keytool -import -trustcacerts -file /path/to/ca/ca.pem -alias CA_ALIAS -keystore $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security/cacerts

Import PFX file into java keystore

keytool.exe -importkeystore -srckeystore winkey.pfx -srcstoretype pkcs12 -destkeystore winserver.keystore -deststoretype JKS

Convert PFX Certificate to JKS, P12, CRT for Java Keystore

 all you need is OpenSSL and Java 7+!

First, let's generate a key from the PFX file; this key is later used for p12 keystore.

openssl pkcs12 -in example.pfx -nocerts -out example.key  

Second command is almost the same, but it is about nokey and a crt this time to export the Certificates:

openssl pkcs12 -in example.pfx -clcerts -nokeys -out example.crt  

Now, we have a key and and a crt file. The next step is to create a truststore, like so:

​keytool -import -file example.crt -alias exampleCA -keystore truststore.jks

For the question: "Do you trust this certificate?" answer "yes," so it is then added in the truststore.

If you only need a truststore, you can stop here.

The last step is to create a keystore, like so:

openssl pkcs12 -export -in example.crt -inkey example.key -certfile example.crt -name "examplecert" -out keystore.p12

​This p12 keystore is enough in many cases. However, if you still need a JKS keystore, you need one additional command:

keytool -importkeystore -srckeystore keystore.p12 -srcstoretype pkcs12 -destkeystore keystore.jks -deststoretype JKS

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