GENERAL_NAME_NEW(3)

NAME
GENERAL_NAME_new, GENERAL_NAME_free, GENERAL_NAMES_new, GENERAL_NAMES_free, EDIPARTYNAME_new, EDIPARTYNAME_free, OTHERNAME_new, OTHERNAME_free - names for use in X.509 extensions

SYNOPSIS
#include <openssl/x509v3.h>
GENERAL_NAME *
GENERAL_NAME_new(void);
void
GENERAL_NAME_free(GENERAL_NAME *name);
GENERAL_NAMES *
GENERAL_NAMES_new(void);
void
GENERAL_NAMES_free(GENERAL_NAMES *names);
EDIPARTYNAME *
EDIPARTYNAME_new(void);
void
EDIPARTYNAME_free(EDIPARTYNAME *name);
OTHERNAME *
OTHERNAME_new(void);
void
OTHERNAME_free(OTHERNAME *name);

DESCRIPTION
Even though the X.501 Name documented in X509_NAME_new(3) is a complicated multi-layered structure, it is very rigid and not flexible enough to represent various entities that many people want to use as names in certificates. For that reason, X.509 extensions use the X.509 GeneralName wrapper structure rather than using the X.501 Name structure directly, at the expense of adding one or two additional layers of indirection.

GENERAL_NAME_new() allocates and initializes an empty GENERAL_NAME object, representing the ASN.1 GeneralName structure defined in RFC 5280 section 4.2.1.6. It can for example hold an X509_name object, an IP address, a DNS host name, a uniform resource identifier, an email address, or an EDIPARTYNAME or OTHERNAME object described below. GENERAL_NAME_free() frees name.

GENERAL_NAMES_new() allocates and initializes an empty GENERAL_NAMES object, which is a STACK_OF(GENERAL_NAME) and represents the ASN.1 GeneralNames structure defined in RFC 5280 section 4.2.1.6. It is used by extension structures that can contain multiple names, for example key identifier, alternative name, and distribution point extensions. GENERAL_NAMES_free() frees names.

EDIPARTYNAME_new() allocates and initializes an empty EDIPARTYNAME object, representing the ASN.1 EDIPartyName structure defined in RFC 5280 section 4.2.1.6, where “EDI” stands for “electronic data identifier”. It can hold two strings, the name itself and the name of the authority that assigned that name. EDIPARTYNAME_free() frees name.

OTHERNAME_new() allocates and initializes an empty OTHERNAME object, representing the ASN.1 OtherName structure defined in RFC 5280 section 4.2.1.6. It can hold data of any ASN1_TYPE together with a type identifier. OTHERNAME_free() frees name.

RETURN VALUES
GENERAL_NAME_new(), GENERAL_NAMES_new(), EDIPARTYNAME_new(), and OTHERNAME_new() return a new GENERAL_NAME, GENERAL_NAMES, EDIPARTYNAME, or OTHERNAME object or NULL if an error occurs.

SEE ALSO
X509_EXTENSION_new(3), X509_NAME_new(3)

STANDARDS
RFC 5280: Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile, section 4.2: Certificate Extensions

HISTORY
GENERAL_NAME_new(), GENERAL_NAME_free(), GENERAL_NAMES_new(), and GENERAL_NAMES_free() first appeared in OpenSSL 0.9.2b and have been available since OpenBSD 2.6.

OTHERNAME_new() and OTHERNAME_free() first appeared in OpenSSL 0.9.5 and have been available since OpenBSD 2.7.

EDIPARTYNAME_new() and EDIPARTYNAME_free() first appeared in OpenSSL 0.9.7 and have been available since OpenBSD 3.2.