how to transfer a secret key to another comp?

[David Shaw]

On Wed, Jun 16, 2004 at 09:26:33AM +0200, Bruno Boettcher wrote:
> On Wed, May 19, 2004 at 11:01:06AM -0400, David Shaw wrote:
> Hello
> 
> have this problem pending for a long time now, and now its getting acute
> again :D
> 
> i am not able to transfer my primary key to the laptop....
> i tryed the following:
> 
> bboett at kalman:~/$ gpg --export-secret-subkey >gpg.sub
> bboett at kalman:~/$ gpg --export-secret-key >gpg.sec
> bboett at kalman:~/$ scp gpg.s* laptop:
> 
> and on the laptop:
> 
> laptop:~/zebot$ gpg --import ~/gpg.s*  
> gpg: key E0807C30: already in secret keyring
> gpg: key E0807C30: already in secret keyring
> gpg: Total number processed: 4
> gpg:       secret keys read: 4
> gpg:  secret keys unchanged: 4
> laptop:~/$ gpg --sign testfile
> gpg: secret key parts are not available
> gpg: no default secret key: general error
> gpg: signing failed: general error
> 
> 
> E0807C30 being the fingerprint of my main key....
> so i don't know what to try next??

Don't use --export-secret-subkey.  It has nothing to do with what you
are trying to do, and is the cause of the "secret key parts are not
available" error.

Delete the secret key on your laptop and re-import the gpg.sec file.
NOT the gpg.sub file, which will in no way work.

David