NAME
sq key - Manage keys
SYNOPSIS
sq key
list [OPTIONS]
sq key generate [OPTIONS]
sq key import [OPTIONS] KEY_FILE
sq key password [OPTIONS] FILE
sq key expire [OPTIONS] EXPIRY FILE
sq key revoke [OPTIONS] REASON MESSAGE
sq key userid [OPTIONS] SUBCOMMAND
sq key subkey [OPTIONS] SUBCOMMAND
sq key attest-certifications [OPTIONS] KEY
sq key adopt [OPTIONS] TARGET-KEY
DESCRIPTION
Manage keys.
We use the term "key" to refer to OpenPGP keys that do contain secrets. This subcommand provides primitives to generate and otherwise manipulate keys.
Conversely, we use the term "certificate", or "cert" for short, to refer to OpenPGP keys that do not contain secrets. See ’sq toolbox keyring’ for operations on certificates.
SUBCOMMANDS
sq key
list
List keys managed by the key store.
sq key
generate
Generate a new key.
Generating a key is the prerequisite to receiving encrypted messages and creating signatures. There are a few parameters to this process, but we provide reasonable defaults for most users.
When generating a key, we also generate a revocation certificate. This can be used in case the key is superseded, lost, or compromised. It is a good idea to keep a copy of this in a safe place.
After generating a key, use ’sq toolbox extract-cert’ to get the certificate corresponding to the key. The key must be kept secure, while the certificate should be handed out to correspondents, e.g. by uploading it to a key server.
By default a key expires after 3 years. Using the ’--expiry=’ argument specific validity periods may be defined. It allows for providing a point in time for validity to end or a validity duration.
’sq key generate’ respects the reference time set by the top-level ’--time’ argument. It sets the creation time of the key, any subkeys, and the binding signatures to the reference time.
sq key
import
Import keys into the key store.
sq key
password
Change password protecting secrets.
Secret key material in keys can be protected by a password. This subcommand changes or clears this encryption password.
To emit the key with unencrypted secrets, either use ’--clear’ or supply a zero-length password when prompted for the new password.
sq key
expire
Change expiration times.
Keys and their individual subkeys can expire. This subcommand changes or clears the expiration times.
By default, the expiration time of the entire key is changed. To change the expiration of only some of the subkeys, use the ’--subkey’ option.
sq key
revoke
Revoke a certificate.
Creates a revocation certificate for the certificate.
If ’--revocation-file’ is provided, then that key is used to create the signature. If that key is different from the certificate being revoked, this creates a third-party revocation. This is normally only useful if the owner of the certificate designated the key to be a designated revoker.
If ’--revocation-file’ is not provided, then the certificate must include a certification-capable key.
’sq key revoke’ 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 revocation certificate’s creation time to the reference time instead of the current time.
sq key
userid
Manage User IDs.
Add User IDs to, or strip User IDs from a key.
sq key
subkey
Manage Subkeys.
Add new subkeys to an existing key.
sq key
attest-certifications
Attest to third-party certifications allowing for their
distribution.
To prevent certificate flooding attacks, modern key servers prevent uncontrolled distribution of third-party certifications on certificates. To make the key holder the sovereign over the information over what information is distributed with the certificate, the key holder needs to explicitly attest to third-party certifications.
After the attestation has been created, the certificate has to be distributed, e.g. by uploading it to a key server.
sq key
adopt
Bind keys from one certificate to another.
This command allows one to transfer primary keys and subkeys into an existing certificate. Say you want to transition to a new certificate, but have an authentication subkey on your current certificate. You want to keep the authentication subkey because it allows access to SSH servers and updating their configuration is not feasible.
EXAMPLES
sq key
list
List the keys managed by the keystore server.
sq key list
sq key
generate
First, generate a key
sq key generate --userid ’<juliet [AT] example.org>’ \
--output juliet.key.pgp
Then, extract the certificate for distribution
sq toolbox extract-cert --output juliet.cert.pgp juliet.key.pgp
Generate a key protecting it with a password
sq key generate --userid ’<juliet [AT] example.org>’ --with-password
Generate a key with multiple userids
sq key generate --userid ’<juliet [AT] example.org>’ \
--userid ’Juliet Capulet’
Generate a key whose creation time is June 9, 2011 at midnight UTC
sq key generate --time 20110609 --userid Noam \
--output noam.pgp
sq key
import
Import the keys into the keystore server.
sq key import alice-secret.pgp
sq key
password
First, generate a key
sq key generate --userid ’<juliet [AT] example.org>’ \
--output juliet.key.pgp
Then, encrypt the secrets in the key with a password.
sq key password < juliet.key.pgp > juliet.encrypted_key.pgp
And remove the password again.
sq key password --clear < juliet.encrypted_key.pgp \
> juliet.decrypted_key.pgp
sq key
expire
Make Alice’s key expire in a year.
sq key expire 1y alice-secret.pgp
Make Alice’s key never expire.
sq key expire never alice-secret.pgp
Make Bob’s authentication subkey expire in six months.
sq key expire 6m --subkey 6AEACDD24F896624 bob-secret.pgp
sq key
attest-certifications
Attest to all certifications present on the key
sq key attest-certifications juliet.pgp
Retract prior attestations on the key
sq key attest-certifications --none juliet.pgp
sq key
adopt
Adopt an subkey into the new cert
sq key adopt --keyring juliet-old.pgp --key 0123456789ABCDEF \
juliet-new.pgp
SEE ALSO
sq(1), sq-key-list(1), sq-key-generate(1), sq-key-import(1), sq-key-password(1), sq-key-expire(1), sq-key-revoke(1), sq-key-userid(1), sq-key-subkey(1), sq-key-attest-certifications(1), sq-key-adopt(1).
For the full documentation see <https://book.sequoia-pgp.org>;.
VERSION
0.34.0 (sequoia-openpgp 1.19.0)