1.8. Creating a GPG2 key

Procedure

1. Install and configure the pinentry utility.

   [root@server ~]# dnf install pinentry
   [root@server ~]# mkdir ~/.gnupg -m 700
   [root@server ~]# echo "pinentry-program /usr/bin/pinentry-curses" >> ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf

2. Create a key-input file used for generating a GPG keypair with your preferred details. For example:

   [root@server ~]# cat >key-input <<EOF
   %echo Generating a standard key
   Key-Type: RSA
   Key-Length: 2048
   Name-Real: GPG User
   Name-Comment: first key
   Name-Email: root@example.com
   Expire-Date: 0
   %commit
   %echo Finished creating standard key
   EOF

3. Optional: By default, GPG2 stores its keyring in the ~/.gnupg file. To use a custom keyring location, set the GNUPGHOME environment variable to a directory that is only accessible by root.

   [root@server ~]# export GNUPGHOME=/root/backup
   
   [root@server ~]# mkdir -p $GNUPGHOME -m 700

4. Generate a new GPG2 key based on the contents of the key-input file.

   [root@server ~]# gpg2 --batch --gen-key key-input

5. Enter a passphrase to protect the GPG2 key. You use this passphrase to access the private key for decryption.

   ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ Please enter the passphrase to                       │
   │ protect your new key                                 │
   │                                                      │
   │ Passphrase: <passphrase>                             │
   │                                                      │
   │	 <OK>                             <Cancel>         │
   └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

6. Confirm the correct passphrase by entering it again.

   ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ Please re-enter this passphrase                      │
   │                                                      │
   │ Passphrase: <passphrase>                             │
   │                                                      │
   │	 <OK>                             <Cancel>         │
   └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

7. Verify that the new GPG2 key was created successfully.

   gpg: keybox '/root/backup/pubring.kbx' created
   gpg: Generating a standard key
   gpg: /root/backup/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
   gpg: key BF28FFA302EF4557 marked as ultimately trusted
   gpg: directory '/root/backup/openpgp-revocs.d' created
   gpg: revocation certificate stored as '/root/backup/openpgp-revocs.d/8F6FCF10C80359D5A05AED67BF28FFA302EF4557.rev'
   gpg: Finished creating standard key