NAME

gpgtar - Encrypt or sign files into an archive

SYNOPSIS

gpgtar [options] filename1 [ filename2, ... ] directory1 [ directory2, ... ]

DESCRIPTION

gpgtar encrypts or signs files into an archive. It is an gpg-ized tar using the same format as used by PGP's PGP Zip.

OPTIONS

gpgtar understands these options:

--create: Put given files and directories into a vanilla ``ustar'' archive.
--extract: Extract all files from a vanilla ``ustar'' archive. If no file name is given (or it is "-") the archive is taken from stdin.
--encrypt
-e: Encrypt given files and directories into an archive. This option may be combined with option --symmetric for an archive that may be decrypted via a secret key or a passphrase.
--decrypt
-d: Extract all files from an encrypted archive. If no file name is given (or it is "-") the archive is taken from stdin.
--sign
-s: Make a signed archive from the given files and directories. This can be combined with option --encrypt to create a signed and then encrypted archive.
--list-archive
-t: List the contents of the specified archive. If no file name is given (or it is "-") the archive is taken from stdin.
--symmetric
-c: Encrypt with a symmetric cipher using a passphrase. The default symmetric cipher used is AES-128, but may be chosen with the --cipher-algo option to gpg.
--recipient user
-r user: Encrypt for user id user. For details see gpg.
--local-user user
-u user: Use user as the key to sign with. For details see gpg.
--output file
-o file: Write the archive to the specified file file.
--verbose
-v: Enable extra informational output.
--quiet
-q: Try to be as quiet as possible.
--skip-crypto: Skip all crypto operations and create or extract vanilla ``ustar'' archives.
--dry-run: Do not actually output the extracted files.
--directory dir
-C dir: Extract the files into the directory dir. The default is to take the directory name from the input filename. If no input filename is known a directory named ‘GPGARCH’ is used. For tarball creation, switch to directory dir before performing any operations.
--files-from file
-T file: Take the file names to work from the file file; one file per line.
--null: Modify option --files-from to use a binary nul instead of a linefeed to separate file names.
--utf8-strings: Assume that the file names read by --files-from are UTF-8 encoded. This option has an effect only on Windows where the active code page is otherwise assumed.
--openpgp: This option has no effect because OpenPGP encryption and signing is the default.
--cms: This option is reserved and shall not be used. It will eventually be used to encrypt or sign using the CMS protocol; but that is not yet implemented.
--batch: Use batch mode. Never ask but use the default action. This option is passed directly to gpg.
--yes: Assume "yes" on most questions. Often used together with --batch to overwrite existing files. This option is passed directly to gpg.
--no: Assume "no" on most questions. This option is passed directly to gpg.
--require-compliance: This option is passed directly to gpg.
--status-fd n: Write special status strings to the file descriptor n. See the file DETAILS in the documentation for a listing of them.
--with-log: When extracting an encrypted tarball also write a log file with the gpg output to a file named after the extraction directory with the suffix ".log".
--set-filename file: Use the last component of file as the output directory. The default is to take the directory name from the input filename. If no input filename is known a directory named ‘GPGARCH’ is used. This option is deprecated in favor of option --directory.
--no-compress: This option tells gpg to disable compression (i.e. using option -z0). It is useful for archiving only large files which are are already compressed (e.g. a set of videos).
--gpg gpgcmd: Use the specified command gpgcmd instead of gpg.
--gpg-args args: Pass the specified extra options to gpg.
--tar-args args: Assume args are standard options of the command tar and parse them. The only supported tar options are "--directory", "--files-from", and "--null" This is an obsolete options because those supported tar options can also be given directly.
--tar command: This is a dummy option for backward compatibility.
--version: Print version of the program and exit.
--help: Display a brief help page and exit.

EXAMPLES

Encrypt the contents of directory ‘mydocs’ for user Bob to file ‘test1’:

gpgtar --encrypt --output test1 -r Bob mydocs

List the contents of archive ‘test1’:

gpgtar --list-archive test1

DIAGNOSTICS

The program returns 0 if everything was fine, 1 otherwise.