gnupg can't write to $XDG_DATA_HOME

internatetional · 2020-09-20 00:29:40

Hi, I was setting up Arch Linux on a new machine and wanted to use the XDG Base Directory specification to store my configuration and data files, including gnupg files, by setting the $GNUPGHOME variable to "$XDG_DATA_HOME/gnupg". This variable itself works, but I received these errors when I ran gpg --full-gen-key:

gpg: keyblock resource '/home/nate/.local/share/gnupg/pubring.kbx': No such file or directory
....
gpg: failed to create temporary file '/home/nate/.local/share/gnupg/.#lk0x000055a19e0b0a40.meliora.85933': No such file or directory
gpg: can't connect to the agent: No such file or directory
gpg: agent_genkey failed: No agent running
Key generation failed: No agent running

This command works fine and gnupg automatically creates the files and folders it needs, if I don't set $GNUPGHOME, storing its files in the default ~/.gnupg folder instead.
I learned that gnupg can't even write to the $XDG_DATA_HOME folder. What gives, and how do I solve this problem? I suppose I can make it use the ~/.gnupg folder first, and then later move the folder to $XDG_DATA_HOME, adjust its permissions, then set $GNUPGHOME to point to that new location, but is there a better, more elegant or straightforward way?

Any help would be appreciated!

solskog · 2020-09-20 02:31:37

This works for me:

$ declare -x XDG_DATA_HOME=~/.local/share
$ declare -x GNUPGHOME=$XDG_DATA_HOME/gnupg
$ mkdir -p .local/share/gnupg
$ gpg --gen-key

If gpg-agent don't start automatically:

$ gpg-agent --daemon

you also need pinentry installed of course.

merlock · 2020-09-20 03:42:34

Did you see the GnuPG entry in the wiki?

In particular, the discussion links.

Arch Linux

#1 2020-09-20 00:29:40

gnupg can't write to $XDG_DATA_HOME

#2 2020-09-20 02:31:37

Re: gnupg can't write to $XDG_DATA_HOME

#3 2020-09-20 03:42:34

Re: gnupg can't write to $XDG_DATA_HOME

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