added documentation on how to generate a certificate without a certificate

request.

2 files changed, 23 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/doc/gnutls.texi b/doc/gnutls.texi
index 0cfdd44cb1..527c23ddd3 100644
--- a/doc/gnutls.texi
+++ b/doc/gnutls.texi
@@ -3001,7 +3001,17 @@ $ certtool --generate-privkey --outfile key.pem
 @end example
 
 @item
-To create a certificate request, run:
+To generate a certificate using the private key, use the command:
+
+@example
+$ certtool --generate-certificate --load-privkey key.pem \
+   --outfile cert.pem --load-ca-certificate ca-cert.pem \
+   --load-ca-privkey ca-key.pem
+@end example
+
+@item
+To create a certificate request (needed when the certificate is issued by
+another party), run:
 
 @example
 $ certtool --generate-request --load-privkey key.pem \
diff --git a/doc/manpages/certtool.1 b/doc/manpages/certtool.1
index 3183f24504..4f87c60aa6 100644
--- a/doc/manpages/certtool.1
+++ b/doc/manpages/certtool.1
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ $ certtool \-\-generate\-privkey \-\-outfile key.pem
 .fi
 .RE
 
-To create a certificate request, run:
+To create a certificate request (needed when the certificate is issued by
+another party), run:
 
 .RS
 .nf
@@ -114,6 +115,16 @@ $ certtool \-\-generate\-certificate \-\-load\-request request.pem \\
 .fi
 .RE
 
+To generate a certificate using the private key only, use the command:
+
+.RS
+.nf
+$ certtool \-\-generate\-certificate \-\-load\-privkey key.pem \\
+   \-\-outfile cert.pem \-\-load\-ca\-certificate ca\-cert.pem \\
+   \-\-load\-ca\-privkey ca\-key.pem
+.fi
+.RE
+
 To view the certificate information, use:
 
 .RS