Linux gpg Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to gpg on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including encryption, digital signatures, key management, and secure communication.

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Table of Contents

1. gpg Installation
2. gpg Basics
3. Key Management
4. Encryption and Signing
5. Troubleshooting

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gpg Installation

Install gpg

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install GnuPG
sudo pacman -S gnupg

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install gnupg

Fedora:

sudo dnf install gnupg

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gpg Basics

Generate Key

Create keypair:

# Generate key
gpg --full-generate-key

# Follow prompts

List Keys

Show keys:

# List keys
gpg --list-keys

# Shows public keys
gpg --list-secret-keys

# Shows private keys

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Key Management

Export Key

Export public key:

# Export public key
gpg --export -a "Your Name" > public.key

# -a = ASCII armor

Import Key

Import key:

# Import public key
gpg --import public.key

# Imports key

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Encryption and Signing

Encrypt File

Encrypt file:

# Encrypt file
gpg -e -r "Recipient" file.txt

# -e = encrypt
# -r = recipient

Sign File

Sign file:

# Sign file
gpg --sign file.txt

# Creates file.txt.gpg

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Troubleshooting

gpg Not Found

Check installation:

# Check gpg
which gpg

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S gnupg

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Summary

This guide covered gpg usage, encryption, signing, and key management for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• Package Signing - Package verification
• Security Configuration - Security setup
• gpg Documentation: man gpg

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.