.TH SQ 1 0.35.0 "Sequoia PGP" "User Commands"
.SH NAME
sq sign \- Sign messages or data files
.SH SYNOPSIS
.br
\fBsq sign\fR [\fIOPTIONS\fR] \fIFILE\fR
.SH DESCRIPTION
Sign messages or data files.
.PP
Creates signed messages or detached signatures.  Detached signatures
are often used to sign software packages.
.PP
The converse operation is `sq verify`.
.PP
`sq sign` respects the reference time set by the top\-level `\-\-time` argument.  When set, it uses the specified time instead of the current time, when determining what keys are valid, and it sets the signature's creation time to the reference time instead of the current time.
.PP


.SH OPTIONS
.SS "Subcommand options"
.TP
\fB\-B\fR, \fB\-\-binary\fR
Emit binary data
.TP
\fB\-a\fR, \fB\-\-append\fR
Append a signature to existing signature
.TP
\fB\-\-cleartext\-signature\fR
Create a cleartext signature
.TP
\fB\-\-detached\fR
Create a detached signature
.TP
\fB\-\-merge\fR=\fISIGNED\-MESSAGE\fR
Merge signatures from the input and SIGNED\-MESSAGE
.TP
\fB\-n\fR, \fB\-\-notarize\fR
Sign a message and all existing signatures
.TP
\fB\-\-notation\fR \fINAME\fR \fIVALUE\fR
Add a notation to the certification.  A user\-defined notation's name must be of the form `name@a.domain.you.control.org`. If the notation's name starts with a `!`, then the notation is marked as being critical.  If a consumer of a signature doesn't understand a critical notation, then it will ignore the signature.  The notation is marked as being human readable.
.TP
\fB\-o\fR, \fB\-\-output\fR=\fIFILE\fR
Write to FILE or stdout if omitted
.IP
[default: \fB\-\fR]
.TP
\fB\-\-private\-key\-store\fR=\fIKEY_STORE\fR
Provide parameters for private key store
.TP
\fB\-\-signer\-file\fR=\fIKEY_FILE\fR
Sign the message using the key in KEY_FILE
.TP
\fB\-\-signer\-key\fR=\fIKEYID|FINGERPRINT\fR
Sign the message using the specified key on the key store
.TP
 \fIFILE\fR
Read from FILE or stdin if omitted
.IP
[default: \fB\-\fR]
.SS "Global options"
See \fBsq\fR(1) for a description of the global options.
.SH EXAMPLES
.PP

.PP
Create a signed message
.PP
.nf
.RS
sq sign \-\-signer\-file juliet.pgp message.txt
.RE
.PP
.fi

.PP
Create a detached signature
.PP
.nf
.RS
sq sign \-\-detached \-\-signer\-file juliet.pgp message.txt
.RE
.PP
.fi

.PP
Create a signature with the specified creation time
.PP
.nf
.RS
sq sign \-\-time 20020304 \-\-detached \-\-signer\-file juliet.pgp \\
.RE
.RS
.RS
message.txt
.RE
.RE
.fi
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.nh
\fBsq\fR(1).
.hy
.PP
For the full documentation see <https://book.sequoia\-pgp.org>.
.SH VERSION
0.35.0 (sequoia\-openpgp 1.20.0)