info gnupg

File: gnupg.info, Node: Unattended GPG key generation, Prev: The quick key manipulation interface, Up: Unattended Usage of GPG

4.5.4 Unattended key generation
-------------------------------

The command '--generate-key' may be used along with the option '--batch'
for unattended key generation. This is the most flexible way of
generating keys, but it is also the most complex one. Consider using
the quick key manipulation interface described in the previous
subsection "The quick key manipulation interface".

The parameters for the key are either read from stdin or given as a
file on the command line. The format of the parameter file is as
follows: Text only, line length is limited to about 1000 characters.
UTF-8 encoding must be used to specify non-ASCII characters. Empty
lines are ignored. Leading and trailing white space is ignored. A hash
sign as the first non white space character indicates a comment line.
Control statements are indicated by a leading percent sign, their
arguments are separated by white space from the keyword. Parameters are
specified by a keyword, followed by a colon; arguments are separated by
white space. The first parameter must be 'Key-Type' but control
statements may be placed anywhere. The order of the parameters does not
matter except for 'Key-Type'. The parameters are only used for the
generated keyblock (primary and subkeys); parameters from previous sets
are not used. Some syntax checks may be performed. Key commences when
either the end of the parameter file is reached, the next 'Key-Type'
parameter is encountered, or the control statement '%commit' is
encountered.

Control statements:

%echo TEXT
Print TEXT as diagnostic.

%dry-run
Suppress actual key generation (useful for syntax checking).

%commit
Perform the key generation. Note that an implicit commit is done
at the next Key-Type parameter.

%pubring FILENAME
Do not write the key to the default or commandline given keyring
but to FILENAME. This must be given before the first commit to
take place, duplicate specification of the same filename is
ignored, the last filename before a commit is used. The filename
is used until a new filename is used (at commit points) and all
keys are written to that file. If a new filename is given, this
file is created (and overwrites an existing one).

See the previous subsection "Ephemeral home directories" for a more
robust way to contain side-effects.

%secring FILENAME
This option is a no-op for GnuPG 2.1 and later.

See the previous subsection "Ephemeral home directories".

%ask-passphrase
%no-ask-passphrase
This option is a no-op since GnuPG version 2.1.

%no-protection
Using this option allows the creation of keys without any
passphrase protection. This option is mainly intended for
regression tests.

%transient-key
If given the keys are created using a faster and a somewhat less
secure random number generator. This option may be used for keys
which are only used for a short time and do not require full
cryptographic strength. It takes only effect if used together with
the control statement '%no-protection'.

General Parameters:

Key-Type: ALGO
Starts a new parameter block by giving the type of the primary key.
The algorithm must be capable of signing. This is a required
parameter. ALGO may either be an OpenPGP algorithm number or a
string with the algorithm name. The special value 'default' may be
used for ALGO to create the default key type; in this case a
'Key-Usage' shall not be given and 'default' also be used for
'Subkey-Type'.

Key-Length: NBITS
The requested length of the generated key in bits. The default is
returned by running the command 'gpg --gpgconf-list'. For ECC keys
this parameter is ignored.

Key-Curve: CURVE
The requested elliptic curve of the generated key. This is a
required parameter for ECC keys. It is ignored for non-ECC keys.

Key-Grip: HEXSTRING
This is optional and used to generate a CSR or certificate for an
already existing key. Key-Length will be ignored when given.

Key-Usage: USAGE-LIST
Space or comma delimited list of key usages. Allowed values are
'encrypt', 'sign', and 'auth'. This is used to generate the key
flags. Please make sure that the algorithm is capable of this
usage. Note that OpenPGP requires that all primary keys are
capable of certification, so no matter what usage is given here,
the 'cert' flag will be on. If no 'Key-Usage' is specified and the
'Key-Type' is not 'default', all allowed usages for that particular
algorithm are used; if it is not given but 'default' is used the
usage will be 'sign'.

Subkey-Type: ALGO
This generates a secondary key (subkey). Currently only one subkey
can be handled. See also 'Key-Type' above.

Subkey-Length: NBITS
Length of the secondary key (subkey) in bits. The default is
returned by running the command 'gpg --gpgconf-list'.

Subkey-Curve: CURVE
Key curve for a subkey; similar to 'Key-Curve'.

Subkey-Usage: USAGE-LIST
Key usage lists for a subkey; similar to 'Key-Usage'.

Passphrase: STRING
If you want to specify a passphrase for the secret key, enter it
here. Default is to use the Pinentry dialog to ask for a
passphrase.

Name-Real: NAME
Name-Comment: COMMENT
Name-Email: EMAIL
The three parts of a user name. Remember to use UTF-8 encoding
here. If you don't give any of them, no user ID is created.

Expire-Date: ISO-DATE|(NUMBER[d|w|m|y])
Set the expiration date for the key (and the subkey). It may
either be entered in ISO date format (e.g. "20000815T145012") or
as number of days, weeks, month or years after the creation date.
The special notation "seconds=N" is also allowed to specify a
number of seconds since creation. Without a letter days are
assumed. Note that there is no check done on the overflow of the
type used by OpenPGP for timestamps. Thus you better make sure
that the given value make sense. Although OpenPGP works with time
intervals, GnuPG uses an absolute value internally and thus the
last year we can represent is 2105.

Creation-Date: ISO-DATE
Set the creation date of the key as stored in the key information
and which is also part of the fingerprint calculation. Either a
date like "1986-04-26" or a full timestamp like "19860426T042640"
may be used. The time is considered to be UTC. The special
notation "seconds=N" may be used to directly specify a the number
of seconds since Epoch (Unix time). If it is not given the current
time is used.

Preferences: STRING
Set the cipher, hash, and compression preference values for this
key. This expects the same type of string as the sub-command
'setpref' in the '--edit-key' menu.

Revoker: ALGO:FPR [sensitive]
Add a designated revoker to the generated key. Algo is the public
key algorithm of the designated revoker (i.e. RSA=1, DSA=17, etc.)
FPR is the fingerprint of the designated revoker. FPR may not
contain spaces or colons. The optional 'sensitive' flag marks the
designated revoker as sensitive information. Only v4 and v5 keys
may be designated revokers.

Keyserver: STRING
This is an optional parameter that specifies the preferred
keyserver URL for the key.

Handle: STRING
This is an optional parameter only used with the status lines
KEY_CREATED and KEY_NOT_CREATED. STRING may be up to 100 characters
and should not contain spaces. It is useful for batch key
generation to associate a key parameter block with a status line.

Here is an example on how to create a key in an ephemeral home
directory:
$ export GNUPGHOME="$(mktemp -d)"
$ cat >foo <
ssb elg1024 2016-12-16 [E]

If you want to create a key with the default algorithms you would use
these parameters:
%echo Generating a default key
Key-Type: default
Subkey-Type: default
Name-Real: Joe Tester
Name-Comment: with stupid passphrase
Name-Email: joe@foo.bar
Expire-Date: 0
Passphrase: abc
# Do a commit here, so that we can later print "done" :-)
%commit
%echo done