Restoring GnuPG

[Heinz Diehl]

On 19.10.2014, ml at sudhirkhanger.com wrote: 

> Are you trying to say if I don't import pubring.gpg I won't import the 
> previously exchanged keys and hence I won't be able to send them encrypted 
> messages as I won't have access to other people's public keys?

Exactly. In order to be able to send an encrypted mail to somebody,
you have to encrypt it with the appropriate public key of the
receiver.

> I currently don't have any public keys imported/exchanged.

So you won't be able to send any encrypted mail.

> I am just learning GnuPG.

You're welcome!

If you have to move your gpg installation to a new system, just copy the
secring.gpg, pubring.gpg, trustdb.gpg and gpg.conf from your ~/.gnupg 
directory into your new installation. It's not necessary to
export/import keys from the keyrings.