Standard gnupg folder created despite --homedir parameter

[Sinclair Andersen]

> Date: Sun,  7 Aug 2016 14:35:41 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Carola Grunwald <caro at nymph.paranoici.org>
> To: gnupg-users at gnupg.org
> Subject: Standard gnupg folder created despite --homedir parameter
> Message-ID: <20160807143541.00DDC1031E4D at remailer.paranoici.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> Hello!
> 
> Migrating a Windows encryption tool from 1.4.20 I need help with GnuPG
> 2.1.14.
> 
> Though using the --homedir parameter, with certain gpg commands a gnupg
> folder is created in %APPDATA% (C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming). Is
> there a reason for having that folder or is it just a bug?  Any chance
> to avoid that?
> 
> I'm addressing this rather unimportant 'feature' 'cause I'm maintaining
> a portable application and don't want the host system to be altered in
> any way.
> 
> | gpg (GnuPG) 2.1.14
> | libgcrypt 1.7.2
> | Copyright (C) 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> | License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
> | This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
> | There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
> | 
> | Home: F:/PortableApps/MyProject/gpg
> | Supported algorithms:
> | Pubkey: RSA, ELG, DSA, ECDH, ECDSA, EDDSA
> | Cipher: IDEA, 3DES, CAST5, BLOWFISH, AES, AES192, AES256, TWOFISH,
> |         CAMELLIA128, CAMELLIA192, CAMELLIA256
> | Hash: SHA1, RIPEMD160, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512, SHA224
> | Compression: Uncompressed, ZIP, ZLIB, BZIP2
> 
> | Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
> | Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
> | 
> | f:\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg>gpgconf --homedir F:\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg --list-dirs
> | sysconfdir:C%3a\ProgramData\GNU\etc\gnupg
> | bindir:f%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg
> | libexecdir:f%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg
> | libdir:f%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg\lib\gnupg
> | datadir:f%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg\share\gnupg
> | localedir:f%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg\share\locale
> | dirmngr-socket:F%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg\S.dirmngr
> | dirmngr-sys-socket:C%3a\Windows\S.dirmngr
> | agent-ssh-socket:F%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg\S.gpg-agent.ssh
> | agent-socket:F%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg\S.gpg-agent
> | homedir:F%3a\PortableApps\MyProject\gpg
> 
> TIA
> 
> Caro
> 

Hello Caro,

I'm afraid I don't have a solution for you, but since I have been looking for precisely the same myself for over a year now, I thought I reply anyway. 
I run GnuPG 1.4.20 from inside a Veracrypt volume together with a number other portable apps, like Pidgin, Thunderbird,  that is stored and back uped on a couple of thumbdrives and other media. 
I do this by having created a start.bat file that I start GnuPG from:

 setlocal
 set GNUPGHOME=.
 cmd.exe
 endlocal

Feeling that it is only a matter of time before one must leave 1.4.x behind (a feeling, mind you, maybe it will outlive some of us), I have been looking for a way to run at least version 2.0.30 from inside a Veracrypt volume and, as you say "don't want the host system to be altered in any way."

If by any chance someone on this list has an answer to this, someone mails you or you find a solution, I'd be more than happy if you'd share. If that happens to me, I be sure to do the same.

Regards,

FDS