File: gnupg.info,  Node: gpgconf,  Next: applygnupgdefaults,  Prev: addgnupghome,  Up: Helper Tools

10.4 Modify .gnupg home directories
===================================

The 'gpgconf' is a utility to automatically and reasonable safely query
and modify configuration files in the '.gnupg' home directory.  It is
designed not to be invoked manually by the user, but automatically by
graphical user interfaces (GUI).(1)

   'gpgconf' provides access to the configuration of one or more
components of the GnuPG system.  These components correspond more or
less to the programs that exist in the GnuPG framework, like GPG, GPGSM,
DirMngr, etc.  But this is not a strict one-to-one relationship.  Not
all configuration options are available through 'gpgconf'.  'gpgconf'
provides a generic and abstract method to access the most important
configuration options that can feasibly be controlled via such a
mechanism.

   'gpgconf' can be used to gather and change the options available in
each component, and can also provide their default values.  'gpgconf'
will give detailed type information that can be used to restrict the
user's input without making an attempt to commit the changes.

   'gpgconf' provides the backend of a configuration editor.  The
configuration editor would usually be a graphical user interface program
that displays the current options, their default values, and allows the
user to make changes to the options.  These changes can then be made
active with 'gpgconf' again.  Such a program that uses 'gpgconf' in this
way will be called GUI throughout this section.

* Menu:

* Invoking gpgconf::       List of all commands and options.
* Format conventions::     Formatting conventions relevant for all commands.
* Listing components::     List all gpgconf components.
* Checking programs::      Check all programs known to gpgconf.
* Listing options::        List all options of a component.
* Changing options::       Changing options of a component.
* Listing global options:: List all global options.
* Querying versions::      Get and compare software versions.
* Files used by gpgconf::  What files are used by gpgconf.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) Please note that currently no locking is done, so concurrent
access should be avoided.  There are some precautions to avoid
corruption with concurrent usage, but results may be inconsistent and
some changes may get lost.  The stateless design makes it difficult to
provide more guarantees.