gpg2

Generate key pair

$ gpg2 --full-generate-key

$ gpg2 --list-keys

$ gpg2 -e -r [recipient@email.com] [file]

$ gpg2 -d [file.gpg]

$ gpg2 --sign [file]

$ gpg2 --verify [file.sig]

$ gpg2 --armor --export [keyid] > [public.asc]

gpg2 [options] [files]

gpg2 (GnuPG 2) is the modern version of GNU Privacy Guard, implementing the OpenPGP standard for encryption, digital signatures, and key management. It uses a modular architecture with separate daemons for improved security.
On most modern systems, gpg is aliased to gpg2. The two share keyrings and are functionally equivalent, with gpg2 offering improved architecture and daemon management.

-e, --encrypt

Encrypt data.

Decrypt data.

Sign data.

Verify signature.

Encrypt for recipient.

ASCII armored output.

Generate key pair.

List public keys.

List private keys.

Export public key.

Import keys.

Keyserver to use.

~/.gnupg/gpg.conf

User configuration file for default options, preferred algorithms, and keyserver settings.

Configuration for the gpg-agent daemon handling passphrase caching and key operations.

Key management requires understanding of web of trust. Private keys must be protected. Passphrase selection is critical. gpg and gpg2 share keyrings on modern systems.

GnuPG was created by Werner Koch in 1997 as a free replacement for PGP. GPG 2.0 was released in 2006 with a modular architecture. It's a fundamental tool for secure email and software signing.

gpg(1), gpg-agent(1), gpgconf(1)