gpgtar - Man Page

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

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.

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.

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

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

gpg(1), tar(1),

The full documentation for this tool is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If GnuPG and the info program are properly installed at your site, the command

info gnupg

should give you access to the complete manual including a menu structure and an index.