---
type: concept
title: PKCS#12
tags: [security, certificates, encryption, linux]
related: [easyroam, urz-easyroam-installer, eduroam]
created: 2026-06-30
updated: 2026-06-30
sources: ["output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_technische-infrastruktur-wlan-eduroam-linux.md", "output/rz_uni_greifswald_de_dienste_technische_infrastruktur_wlan_eduroam_linux.md"]
---

# PKCS#12

**PKCS#12** (Public-Key Cryptography Standards #12) is a binary archive file format used to store a user's private key and its corresponding public key certificate, often bundled with the intermediate certificates of the issuing Certificate Authority (CA).

## Use in eduroam Configuration
For Linux users at the Universität Greifswald, the PKCS#12 format is used as the delivery mechanism for the security credentials required for [[eduroam]] authentication. 

When using the [[easyroam]] portal's "Manual Options," the system generates a PKCS#12 file. This file is then used by the [[urz-easyroam-installer]] to configure the system's network settings, ensuring that the device can authenticate securely with the university's WLAN infrastructure without the user having to manually import individual certificates into the system trust store.