GPGTAR

Section: GNU Privacy Guard 2.2 (1)
Updated: 2021-03-22
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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.

--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.

--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.

--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.

--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.

--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.