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Private Key Gadgets is a browser-based PKI key material tool and reusable TypeScript API. It generates, imports, exports, and inspects private-key related objects in the browser, while using PkiStudioJS as the embedded ASN.1 DER viewer.

The package is published as:

npm install @pkistudio/pvkgadgets

Current package version: 0.4.2

What to Read First

• Getting Started: install, run, generate keys, import PKCS#12, and export key material.
• Browser App: understand the key tree, SubjectDN, CSR, self-signed certificates, certificate loading, and ASN.1 viewer behavior.
• Core API: use PvkGadgetsCore for WebCrypto key generation, PEM/DER helpers, SubjectDN, CSR, certificates, and key matching.
• PKCS#12 API: use the standalone PKCS#12 import and export helpers.
• Embedding: mount the application in a browser page or Webview host.
• Testing: understand what the standard checks cover and where browser verification is still needed.
• Development: local checks, package entry points, wiki preview, and release notes.

Key Guarantees

• Key material is generated, parsed, and exported in the browser.
• Generated and imported key material is kept as DER bytes in browser memory.
• Private keys are stored as PKCS#8 DER.
• Public keys are stored as SPKI DER.
• Certificates are stored as X.509 certificate DER.
• SubjectDN items are stored as RDNSequence DER.
• CSR items are stored as PKCS#10 DER.
• PKCS#12 import and export use PKIjs and asn1js structured APIs.
• VS Code-specific file access, dialogs, and Webview lifecycle remain outside the package and flow through host callbacks.
• PkiStudioJS is used as the ASN.1 inspection viewer; Private Key Gadgets owns key, certificate, CSR, and PKCS#12 workflows.

Repository Links

• Main repository: https://github.com/pkistudio/pvkgadgets
• npm package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@pkistudio/pvkgadgets
• PkiStudioJS dependency: https://github.com/pkistudio/pkistudiojs