exporting and importing keys

[Todd]

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Chad McCullough wrote:
> I just created my very first gpg key.  I read the Howto and was able to
> create the key but I'm a little confused on exporting the key and where
> it's placed when I export it.

By default, the --export option will send your key to stdout (usually, the
screen).  If you are exporting your key for storage or to send to someone
you could use a command like this:

    gpg --armor --export your_user_id > chad.asc

replacing 'your_user_id' with, well, your user id.  See the gpg man page
section titled 'How to specify a user ID' for info on the many ways you can
specify a user id.

> Also, when importing someone elses key, is it stored in the same place?

When you import a key, it's added to your public keyring.  By default, this
is stored in ~/.gnupg/pubring.gpg.

> I'm using Mutt (just in case you need that information).

Well, it tells me you have good taste. :)

Seriously, mutt has very good gpg integration.  For example, if you want to
email your key to  a friend, you can type <ESC>k and mutt will prompt you
for a key id.  It will then extract the key in an ASCII armored format and
attach it to a message.

To import a key you receive via email, you can type ^K (that's CTRL-K) to
extract it and add it to y our keyring.  Mutt does indeed suck less. :)

- -- 
Todd              OpenPGP -> user_id: 0xD654075A | URL: www.pobox.com/~tmz/pgp
============================================================================
I think it would be a good idea.
    -- Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948),
      when asked what he thought of Western civilization

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