This manual page is for Mac OS X version 10.6.3

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SYSTEMKEYCHAIN(8)                        BSD System Manager's Manual                       SYSTEMKEYCHAIN(8)

NAME
     systemkeychain -- creates system keychains and allows keychains to unlock keychains

SYNOPSIS
     systemkeychain [-fv] [-k filename] [-C] [password]
     systemkeychain [-fvc] [-k filename] [-s] [file ...]
     systemkeychain [-v] [-k filename] [-t]

DESCRIPTION
     The systemkeychain can be used to create a system keychain, make it possible for a keychain to unlock
     another keychain, or test unlocking a keychain.

     The options are as follows:

     -C      Create a keychain and establish it in the system as the primary system keychain whose unlocking
             is automatically handled by the system. The new keychain is empty. If the optional password
             argument is given, the keychain can be also be unlocked with that; otherwise, the keychain has
             no password and can only be unlocked by the system.  The optional password option is generally
             used for testing purposes, and using it is not recommended.

     -s      Extract the master secret from source keychain(s) and install them in a destination keychain to
             allow unlocking.

     -t      Test unlocking the system keychain.

     -k systemKeychain
             Use a keychain other than the default as the destination system keychain.

     -c      Create the target keychain if necessary.

     -f      Force creation of a system keychain or overwriting of an existing key for keychain unlocking
             keychain operations.

     -v      Turn on verbose mode.

     By default, systemkeychain works with the keychain file stored at /Library/Keychains/System.keychain .
     Use of the -k option can specify a different target file.

     Use of the -s option allows keychains to be setup to unlock other keychains.  Chains of keychain
     unlocks can be setup in this manner to make a series of keychains unlock while only needing to manually
     unlock the first one.  This functionality can be verified with the -t (test unlock) option.

FILES
     /Library/Keychains/System.keychain

DIAGNOSTICS
     The systemkeychain utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

HISTORY
     The systemkeychain command appeared in Mac OS 10.2.0 .

BSD                                            March 14, 2006                                            BSD