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diff --git a/doc/gpg.texi b/doc/gpg.texi index ab0289d4d..a7e9204b8 100644 --- a/doc/gpg.texi +++ b/doc/gpg.texi @@ -3742,10 +3742,56 @@ way to do this. The options @option{--status-fd} and @option{--batch} are almost always required for this. @menu +* Programmatic use of GnuPG:: Programmatic use of GnuPG +* Ephemeral home directories:: Ephemeral home directories +* The quick key manipulation interface:: The quick key manipulation interface * Unattended GPG key generation:: Unattended key generation @end menu +@node Programmatic use of GnuPG +@subsection Programmatic use of GnuPG + +Please consider using GPGME instead of calling @command{@gpgname} +directly. GPGME offers a stable, backend-independent interface for +many cryptographic operations. It supports OpenPGP and S/MIME, and +also allows interaction with various GnuPG components. + +GPGME provides a C-API, and comes with bindings for C++, Qt, and +Python. Bindings for other languages are available. + +@node Ephemeral home directories +@subsection Ephemeral home directories + +Sometimes you want to contain effects of some operation, for example +you want to import a key to inspect it, but you do not want this key +to be added to your keyring. In earlier versions of GnuPG, it was +possible to specify alternate keyring files for both public and secret +keys. In modern GnuPG versions, however, we changed how secret keys +are stored in order to better protect secret key material, and it was +not possible to preserve this interface. + +The preferred way to do this is to use ephemeral home directories. +This technique works across all versions of GnuPG. + +Create a temporary directory, create (or copy) a configuration that +meets your needs, make @command{@gpgname} use this directory either +using the environment variable @var{GNUPGHOME}, or the option +@option{--homedir}. GPGME supports this too on a per-context basis, +by modifying the engine info of contexts. Now execute whatever +operation you like, import and export key material as necessary. Once +finished, you can delete the directory. All GnuPG backend services +that were started will detect this and shut down. + +@node The quick key manipulation interface +@subsection The quick key manipulation interface + +Recent versions of GnuPG have an interface to manipulate keys without +using the interactive command @option{--edit-key}. This interface was +added mainly for the benefit of GPGME (please consider using GPGME, +see the manual subsection ``Programmatic use of GnuPG''). This +interface is described in the subsection ``How to manage your keys''. + @node Unattended GPG key generation @subsection Unattended key generation |