Quick Start

These are the bare-bones instructions to get you going. Reading the documentation (online at http://www.gnupg.org/en/manual.html) is highly recommended.

It is a good idea to get a buddy to go through this at the same time that you do -- that way you will have someone to exchange keys and encrypted files with.

1. Create yourself a key.

$ gpg --gen-key

• select the default generation type
• select the default length (or longer if you want)
• select the expiry time
• enter your real name
• enter your email address
• enter a comment
• enter a passphrase to protect your key

• extract the key from gpg:

$ gpg --armor --output file --export (email address)

gpg --armor --output my-key --export DMackintosh@uxilium.com

• attach or embed this file in an email.

• extract the public key into a file.
• import that key into gpg:

$ gpg --import (file-that-key-is-in)

• confirm somehow that this key is genuine (phone, registered mail, whatever)
• sign the imported key to tell gpg that you trust it

$ gpg --edit-key (email-address-associated-with-the-key)
  Command> sign
  Command> quit
  Save changes? y

• you can check that you have signed it properly:

$ gpg --edit-key (email-address-associated-with-the-key)
  Command> check

4. Encrypt a file to be sent to another user:

$ gpg --output (encrypted-file-name) --encrypt --recipient (email-address-you-have-a-key-for) (unencrypted-file)

• (encrypted-file-name) can now be attached to an email.

$ gpg --output (unencrypted-file) --decrypt (encrypted-file)

• (unencrypted-file) is now a normal file.