Beyond Linux® From Scratch (System V Edition) - Version 11.1

Chapter 4. Security

Nettle-3.7.3

Introduction to Nettle

The Nettle package contains a low-level cryptographic library that is designed to fit easily in many contexts.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-11.1 platform.

Package Information

Nettle Dependencies

Optional

Valgrind-3.18.1 (optional for the tests)

User Notes: https://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/nettle

Installation of Nettle

Install Nettle by running the following commands: 

./configure --prefix=/usr --disable-static &&
make

To test the results, issue: make check.

Now, as the root user: 

make install &&
chmod   -v   755 /usr/lib/lib{hogweed,nettle}.so &&
install -v -m755 -d /usr/share/doc/nettle-3.7.3 &&
install -v -m644 nettle.html /usr/share/doc/nettle-3.7.3

Command Explanations

--disable-static: This switch prevents installation of static versions of the libraries.

Contents

Installed Programs: nettle-hash, nettle-lfib-stream, nettle-pbkdf2, pkcs1-conv and sexp-conv
Installed Libraries: libhogweed.so and libnettle.so
Installed Directory: /usr/include/nettle and /usr/share/doc/nettle-3.7.3

Short Descriptions

nettle-hash

calculates a hash value using a specified algorithm

nettle-lfib-stream

outputs a sequence of pseudorandom (non-cryptographic) bytes, using Knuth's lagged fibonacci generator. The stream is useful for testing, but should not be used to generate cryptographic keys or anything else that needs real randomness

nettle-pbkdf2

is a password-based key derivation function that takes a password or a passphrase as input and returns a strengthened password, which is protected against pre-computation attacks by using salting and other expensive computations.

pkcs1-conv

converts private and public RSA keys from PKCS #1 format to sexp format

sexp-conv

converts an s-expression to a different encoding

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