Preparing the smart card

To prepare the smart card, read our Smartcard Quickstart guide, which gives a detailed description in more than 40 pages.

For the impatient, here is a summary :

• Install the OpenSC framework.
• Connect the smart card reader.
• Initialize a blank card.
• Define a PIN code.
• Dump the smartcard content.

Run these commands, as root:
$ apt-get install pcsc-tools libccid openssl

Warning: OpenSC 0.12.0 or later version is needed by the Feitian PKI.
If a package is not available, compile OpenSC from sources.

Install the needed libraries to compile OpenSC:
$ apt-get build-dep opensc

Download OpenSC for GNU/Linux, untar, configure and install:
$ ./configure --prefix=/usr
$ make
$ sudo make install

Initializing the smartcard
If the card needs to be erased:
$ pkcs15-init -E

Initialize the card:
$ pkcs15-init --create-pkcs15 --profile pkcs15+onepin --use-default-transport-key --pin 0000 --puk 111111 --label "François Pérou"

This will create the PKCS15 file structure with PIN code 0000 and PUK code 111111. Adapt these values. The PIN code is the main code, the PUK code is the unblocking code.

Display information

$ pkcs15-tool --dump
Using reader with a card: Feitian SCR301 01 00
PKCS#15 Card [François Pérou]:
Version : 1
Serial number : 3068241116010310
Manufacturer ID: EnterSafe
Last update : 20100322225720Z
Flags : PRN generation, EID compliant

PIN [User PIN]
Com. Flags: 0x3
ID : 01
Flags : [0x30], initialized, needs-padding
Length : min_len:4, max_len:16, stored_len:16
Pad char : 0x00
Reference : 1
Type : ascii-numeric
Path :

We now have a blank card initialized with a PIN code.
Our card is ready to connect to CAcert and transfer a certificate.