Accidentally deleted ~/.gnupg/pubring.gpg

[Werner Koch]

On Sun, 16 Aug 2020 04:33, renws said:

> And I don't have any backup of my public key, so I would like to know
> whether it's possible to decrypt my files (I've still got
> ~/.gnupg/private-keys-v1.d, which I think stores my private key?).

If you just want to decrypt your files, you can do this:

 - Create a new key, best using the mail address you used in your lost
   key.

 - Add a subkey so you can decrypt old data, for example

     $ gpg --expert --edit-key NEWKEYID
     Secret key is available.
   
   [Prints infor about that key]
   
     gpg> addkey 
     Please select what kind of key you want:
        (3) DSA (sign only)
        (4) RSA (sign only)
        (5) Elgamal (encrypt only)
        (6) RSA (encrypt only)
        (7) DSA (set your own capabilities)
        (8) RSA (set your own capabilities)
       (10) ECC (sign only)
       (11) ECC (set your own capabilities)
       (12) ECC (encrypt only)
       (13) Existing key
       (14) Existing key from card
     Your selection? 13
     Enter the keygrip: 

   here you need to enter the keygrip of your lost key.  That is the
   name of the file in private-keys-v1.d/ without the ".key" suffix.
   With your new key you should have 4 files in that directory, chekc
   the date to pick the right one; if it does not work, you picked then
   signing key and not the encryption key.  Start over in this case.

   Enter "save" and you have a new encryption subkey which matches the
   old one mathematically.

 - To decrypt with the new/old file you need to add the option:

     --try-all-secrets


The last point is an obvious drawback but it is the easiest way to get
to your data.
   


Salam-Shalom,

   Werner


-- 
Die Gedanken sind frei.  Ausnahmen regelt ein Bundesgesetz.
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