add-apt-key

Add a GPG key from a URL

$ sudo add-apt-key --keyserver [keyserver.ubuntu.com] --keyid [KEY_ID]

$ sudo add-apt-key --keyfile [key.gpg]

add-apt-key [--keyserver server] [--keyid id] [--keyfile file]

add-apt-key is a helper utility for adding GPG keys used to verify APT repository packages. It provides a safer alternative to the deprecated apt-key command by storing keys in the modern /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ directory.
The tool can fetch keys from keyservers or local files and install them in the appropriate location for APT to use during package verification.

--keyserver server

GPG keyserver to fetch the key from

GPG key ID to fetch

Local GPG key file to add

Custom keyring location

This tool may not be available on all distributions. The modern approach is to place repository keys in /etc/apt/keyrings/ and reference them directly in source list files with the signed-by option.

add-apt-key was developed as distributions moved away from the centralized /etc/apt/trusted.gpg keyring. This transition began around 2020 when apt-key was deprecated in favor of per-repository keyrings.

apt-key(8), gpg(1), apt(8)