gpg-wks-server(1) GNU Privacy Guard 2.6 gpg-wks-server(1)
NAME
gpg-wks-server - Server providing the Web Key Service
SYNOPSIS
gpg-wks-server [options] --receive
gpg-wks-server [options] --cron
gpg-wks-server [options] --list-domains
gpg-wks-server [options] --check-key user-id
gpg-wks-server [options] --install-key file user-id
gpg-wks-server [options] --remove-key user-id
gpg-wks-server [options] --revoke-key user-id
DESCRIPTION
The gpg-wks-server is a server side implementation of the Web Key
Service. It receives requests for publication, sends confirmation
requests, receives confirmations, and published the key. It also has
features to ease the setup and maintenance of a Web Key Directory.
When used with the command --receive a single Web Key Service mail is
processed. Commonly this command is used with the option --send to
directly send the created mails back. See below for an installation
example.
The command --cron is used for regular cleanup tasks. For example non-
confirmed requested should be removed after their expire time. It is
best to run this command once a day from a cronjob.
The command --list-domains prints all configured domains. Further it
creates missing directories for the configuration and prints warnings
pertaining to problems in the configuration.
The command --check-key (or just --check) checks whether a key with the
given user-id is installed. The process returns success in this case;
to also print a diagnostic use the option -v. If the key is not
installed a diagnostic is printed and the process returns failure; to
suppress the diagnostic, use option -q. More than one user-id can be
given; see also option with-file.
The command --install-key manually installs a key into the WKD. The
arguments are a file with the keyblock and the user-id to install. If
the first argument resembles a fingerprint the key is taken from the
current keyring; to force the use of a file, prefix the first argument
with "./". If no arguments are given the parameters are read from
stdin; the expected format are lines with the fingerprint and the
mailbox separated by a space.
The command --remove-key uninstalls a key from the WKD. The process
returns success in this case; to also print a diagnostic, use option
-v. If the key is not installed a diagnostic is printed and the
process returns failure; to suppress the diagnostic, use option -q.
The command --revoke-key is not yet functional.
This tool needs to insert strings into the mails which can be
configured using a plain text file. The installed default files for
English (`wks-utils.txt') and German (`wks-utils.de.txt') can be copied
to the system configuration directory and changed to local needs.
Environment variables in these texts are expanded, the variable
``sigdelim'' is replaced by two dashes and a blank, the variable
``address'' is replaced by the mail address of the key to be published.
OPTIONS
gpg-wks-server understands these options:
-C dir
--directory dir
Use dir as top level directory for domains. The default is
`/var/lib/gnupg/wks'.
--from mailaddr
Use mailaddr as the default sender address.
--header name=value
Add the mail header "name: value" to all outgoing mails.
--send Directly send created mails using the sendmail command.
Requires installation of that command.
-o file
--output file
Write the created mail also to file. Note that the value - for
file would write it to stdout.
--with-dir
When used with the command --list-domains print for each
installed domain the domain name and its directory name.
--with-file
When used with the command --check-key print for each user-id,
the address, 'i' for installed key or 'n' for not installed key,
and the filename.
--verbose
Enable extra informational output.
--quiet
Disable almost all informational output.
--version
Print version of the program and exit.
--help Display a brief help page and exit.
EXAMPLES
The Web Key Service requires a working directory to store keys pending
for publication. As root create a working directory:
# mkdir /var/lib/gnupg/wks
# chown webkey:webkey /var/lib/gnupg/wks
# chmod 2750 /var/lib/gnupg/wks
Then under your webkey account create directories for all your domains.
Here we do it for "example.net":
$ mkdir /var/lib/gnupg/wks/example.net
Finally run
$ gpg-wks-server --list-domains
to create the required sub-directories with the permissions set
correctly. For each domain a submission address needs to be
configured. All service mails are directed to that address. It can be
the same address for all configured domains, for example:
$ cd /var/lib/gnupg/wks/example.net
$ echo key-submission@example.net >submission-address
The protocol requires that the key to be published is sent with an
encrypted mail to the service. Thus you need to create a key for the
submission address:
$ gpg --batch --passphrase '' --quick-gen-key key-submission@example.net
$ gpg -K key-submission@example.net
The output of the last command looks similar to this:
sec rsa3072 2016-08-30 [SC]
C0FCF8642D830C53246211400346653590B3795B
uid [ultimate] key-submission@example.net
bxzcxpxk8h87z1k7bzk86xn5aj47intu@example.net
ssb rsa3072 2016-08-30 [E]
Take the fingerprint from that output and manually publish the key:
$ gpg-wks-server --install-key C0FCF8642D830C53246211400346653590B3795B \
> key-submission@example.net
Finally that submission address needs to be redirected to a script
running gpg-wks-server. The procmail command can be used for this:
Redirect the submission address to the user "webkey" and put this into
webkey's `.procmailrc':
:0
* !^From: webkey@example.net
* !^X-WKS-Loop: webkey.example.net
|gpg-wks-server -v --receive \
--header X-WKS-Loop=webkey.example.net \
--from webkey@example.net --send
SEE ALSO
gpg-wks-client(1)
GnuPG 2.5.16 2025-12-29 gpg-wks-server(1)
gnupg 2.5.16 - Generated Sun Jan 18 06:09:34 CST 2026