gpg

GNU Privacy Guard: encrypt, decrypt, sign, and verify files.

medium risk

interactive breakdown — edit the command and press Explain
$ 
⚠ Risks & cautions
What it does

gpg implements the OpenPGP standard for encryption, signing, and key management. Used for encrypting secrets, signing releases and commits, verifying software authenticity, and secure file transfer without shared passwords.

Common flags
FlagMeaning
-e --encryptEncrypt data
-d --decryptDecrypt data
-s --signSign data
--verifyVerify a signature
-r --recipientSpecify recipient key
--armorOutput ASCII armored format
Examples
gpg --gen-keyGenerate a new GPG key pair · explain & risk-check →
gpg --encrypt --armor -r [email protected] secret.txtEncrypt file for a recipient · explain & risk-check →
gpg --decrypt secret.txt.gpgDecrypt a GPG-encrypted file · explain & risk-check →
gpg --verify release.tar.gz.sig release.tar.gzVerify a signed release · explain & risk-check →
gpg --list-keysList public keys in keyring · explain & risk-check →
Pro tip

Always back up your private key: `gpg --export-secret-keys --armor [email protected] > private-key.asc`. Store it encrypted offline — key loss = permanent data loss.

Related
openssl ssh-keygen base64
Open the full explainer →More in Users, Permissions & Security

Reference text is hand-written and may be incomplete — check man gpg for your version. Test destructive commands on a non-production system first.