install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install softhsm

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install softhsm

MacPorts ports tree · security/softhsm/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add softhsm

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · softhsm · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install softhsm

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · softhsm · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#softhsm

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/so/softhsm/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S softhsm

Arch Linux sync databases · softhsm · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install softhsm

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · softhsm · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Cryptographic store accessible through a PKCS#11 interface

Project links

Commands and aliases

softhsm2-dump-file
softhsm2-keyconv
softhsm2-util

history

Project history and usage

SoftHSM is a software implementation of a cryptographic token store exposed through PKCS#11, originally created for OpenDNSSEC and later maintained as a standalone security project.

Project history

The official SoftHSM site and README both state that SoftHSM began as part of the OpenDNSSEC project. OpenDNSSEC needed to store and handle cryptographic keys through PKCS#11, but requiring a physical hardware security module would have limited who could test or deploy the system.

SoftHSM answered that problem with a software implementation of a generic cryptographic device. Version 2 became the current line, adding stronger handling of sensitive material, unswappable memory support, and a more general crypto backend that can use Botan or OpenSSL.

The SoftHSMv2 GitHub repository was created in 2013 and remains active under the softhsm organization, while the project website points users to GitHub for source code and bug reporting.

Adoption history

SoftHSM spread beyond OpenDNSSEC because PKCS#11 is a shared interface used by many cryptographic applications. The README explicitly notes that SoftHSM can work with other cryptographic products through that interface.

The package is carried by Homebrew, Alpine, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, and openSUSE according to the input package facts, which fits its role as a test and development HSM substitute on Unix-like systems.

How it is used

Users install the library and command-line utilities, configure the token storage path in softhsm2.conf, initialize tokens with softhsm2-util --init-token, and then point PKCS#11-aware software at the SoftHSM module.

The default configuration file is /etc/softhsm2.conf, and the README documents SOFTHSM2_CONF as an override. Token backup is ordinary file backup of the configured token storage location.

Why package nerds care

SoftHSM is important to package maintainers because it makes PKCS#11 integration testable without special hardware. That matters for DNSSEC software, TLS tooling, signing infrastructure, CI systems, and applications that support smart cards or hardware security modules.

It is also a classic dependency-package artifact: most users care that the shared module, config file, utility commands, crypto backend, and p11-kit integration land in expected filesystem locations.

Timeline

2000s: SoftHSM is developed as part of OpenDNSSEC to provide a software PKCS#11 device.
2013: SoftHSMv2 GitHub repository is created.
2010s: SoftHSM version 2 becomes the main documented line with Botan/OpenSSL backend support.
2020s: SoftHSM continues as a standalone project with packages across Unix-like package managers.

Related projects

OpenDNSSEC: the project SoftHSM was originally built to support.
PKCS#11: the cryptographic token interface SoftHSM implements.
Botan and OpenSSL: supported cryptographic backends.
p11-kit: system integration layer relevant to installing PKCS#11 modules.

Sources

current_curation.config-file-location
https://api.github.com/repos/softhsm/SoftHSMv2
https://opendnssec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/softhsm2/
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2/develop/README.md
https://www.softhsm.org/
https://www.softhsm.org/background.html
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 4 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: /etc/softhsm2.conf

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`softhsm2-dump-file`	cli	global executable
`softhsm2-keyconv`	cli	global executable
`softhsm2-util`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version2.7.0

manager updated2026-07-05

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detected2.7.0

https://github.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:softhsm
Version	2.7.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/softhsm
Homepage	https://www.softhsm.org/
Repository	https://github.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2
Upstream docs	https://github.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2#readme
License	BSD-2-Clause
Source archive	https://github.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2/archive/refs/tags/2.7.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-05T00:14:30+09:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	openssl@3
Build dependencies	autoconf, automake, libtool, pkgconf
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	softhsm
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

softhsm

nix profile install nixpkgs#softhsm

normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/so/softhsm/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

apk95%

softhsm 2.7.0-r0

cryptographic store accessible through a PKCS #11

https://github.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2

sudo apk add softhsm

License: BSD-2-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: softhsm
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: softhsm from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

softhsm-doc 2.7.0-r0

cryptographic store accessible through a PKCS #11 (documentation)

https://github.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2

sudo apk add softhsm-doc

License: BSD-2-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: softhsm
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: softhsm-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

softhsm-static 2.7.0-r0

cryptographic store accessible through a PKCS #11 (static library)

https://github.com/softhsm/SoftHSMv2

sudo apk add softhsm-static

License: BSD-2-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: softhsm
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: softhsm-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

dnf95%

softhsm 2.7.0-0.1.rc1.fc44.1

Software version of a PKCS#11 Hardware Security Module

http://www.softhsm.org/

sudo dnf install softhsm

License: BSD-2-clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: softhsm
12 dependencies
5 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: softhsm from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

dnf95%

softhsm-devel 2.7.0-0.1.rc1.fc44.1

Development package of softhsm that includes the header files

http://www.softhsm.org/

sudo dnf install softhsm-devel

License: BSD-2-clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: i686
Source Package: softhsm
3 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: softhsm-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst

pacman95%

softhsm 2.7.0-1

Software PKCS#11 store

https://opendnssec.readthedocs.io/en/latest/softhsm2/

sudo pacman -S softhsm

License: BSD-2-Clause
Architecture: x86_64
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: softhsm from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

zypper95%

softhsm 2.6.1+git.1732869438.f7883c2-2.4

Software version of a PKCS#11 Hardware Security Module

https://www.opendnssec.org/

sudo zypper install softhsm

License: BSD-2-Clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: softhsm
19 dependencies
5 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: softhsm from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

zypper95%

softhsm-devel 2.6.1+git.1732869438.f7883c2-2.4

Development package of softhsm

https://www.opendnssec.org/

sudo zypper install softhsm-devel

License: BSD-2-Clause
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: softhsm
3 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: softhsm-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

softhsm

sudo port install softhsm

normalized package name match
Matched by: Softhsm

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: security/softhsm/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/softhsm.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install softhsm with Homebrew, apk, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

Additional install commands

macOS

Linux

Package summary

Project links

Commands and aliases

Project history and usage

Project history

Adoption history

How it is used

Why package nerds care

Timeline

Related projects

Sources

Risk level: green

Risk classifier

Why

Signals

Install behavior

Recommended review

Configuration and credential file locations

Configuration files

Installed executables

Version and freshness

Package metadata

Source database details

Other package-manager records

Internal package links

Topical hubs

Related tools

Same workflow

Agent security guides

Generated from repository data

Combined YAML source

Used sources