#166638 ssh-keygen -h could show more details

Package:
ssh
Source:
openssh
Submitter:
Eduard Bloch
Date:
2026-06-02 08:03:02 UTC
Severity:
wishlist
Tags:
#166638#5
Date:
2002-10-27 07:56:09 UTC
From:
To:
Hi,

I wish a bit more info in the help output of ssh-keygen. For example, it
requires a valid -t argument, but the help does not list the available
formats.
--- ssh-keygen.c.orig   2002-10-27 09:50:19.000000000 +0100
+++ ssh-keygen.c        2002-10-27 09:51:03.000000000 +0100
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@
 {
        fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s [options]\n", __progname);
        fprintf(stderr, "Options:\n");
-       fprintf(stderr, "  -b bits     Number of bits in the key to create.=
\n");
+       fprintf(stderr, "  -b bits     Number of bits in the key to create =
[512/1024/2048].\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -c          Change comment in private and public=
 key files.\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -e          Convert OpenSSH to IETF SECSH key fi=
le.\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -f filename Filename of the key file.\n");
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@
        fprintf(stderr, "  -p          Change passphrase of private key fil=
e.\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -q          Quiet.\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -y          Read private key file and print publ=
ic key.\n");
-       fprintf(stderr, "  -t type     Specify type of key to create.\n");
+       fprintf(stderr, "  -t type     Specify type of key to create [rsa1/=
rsa/dsa].\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -B          Show bubblebabble digest of key file=
.\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -C comment  Provide new comment.\n");
        fprintf(stderr, "  -N phrase   Provide new passphrase.\n");

#166638#10
Date:
2026-06-02 07:35:17 UTC
From:
To:
Hello Eduard,

the latest version of ssh-keygen available in Debian 13 (stable) does
not provide a "-h" option. Also "--help" is unknown but in this case a
usage output is provided. The -t option now shows the available formats.

Please check if the latest version has issues and report them to the
upstream project than.

Regards,
Christian

#166638#15
Date:
2026-06-02 08:00:05 UTC
From:
To:
Control: fixed -1 openssh/1:6.7p1-1

Specifically, this was originally fixed here (and tweaked further since
then to account for new key types and so on):

https://anongit.mindrot.org/openssh.git/commit/?id=f0858de6e1324ec730752387074b111b8551081e

Thanks,