Provided by: gpgconf_2.4.4-2ubuntu17_amd64 bug

NAME

       gpg-connect-agent - Communicate with a running agent

SYNOPSIS

       gpg-connect-agent [options][commands]

DESCRIPTION

       The  gpg-connect-agent is a utility to communicate with a running gpg-agent.  It is useful
       to check out the commands gpg-agent provides using the Assuan interface.  It might also be
       useful  for  scripting  simple  applications.   Input is expected at stdin and output gets
       printed to stdout.

       It is very similar to running gpg-agent in server mode; but here we connect to  a  running
       instance.

       The following options may be used:

       --dirmngr
              Connect  to  a  running directory manager (keyserver client) instead of to the gpg-
              agent.  If a dirmngr is not running, start it.

       --keyboxd
              Connect to a running keybox daemon instead of to the gpg-agent.  If  a  keyboxd  is
              not running, start it.

       -S
       --raw-socket name
              Connect  to  socket  name  assuming this is an Assuan style server.  Do not run any
              special initializations or environment  checks.   This  may  be  used  to  directly
              connect to any Assuan style socket server.

       -E
       --exec Take the rest of the command line as a program and it's arguments and execute it as
              an Assuan server. Here is how you would run gpgsm:
          gpg-connect-agent --exec gpgsm --server
       Note that you may not use options on the command line in this case.

       -v
       --verbose
              Output additional information while running.

       -q

       --quiet
              Try to be as quiet as possible.

       --homedir dir
              Set the name of the home directory to dir. If this option is  not  used,  the  home
              directory  defaults to ‘~/.gnupg’.  It is only recognized when given on the command
              line.  It also overrides any home directory stated through the environment variable
              ‘GNUPGHOME’   or   (on   Windows   systems)   by   means   of  the  Registry  entry
              HKCU\Software\GNU\GnuPG:HomeDir.

              On Windows systems it is possible to install GnuPG as a portable  application.   In
              this case only this command line option is considered, all other ways to set a home
              directory are ignored.

       --chuid uid
              Change the current user to uid which may either be a number or a name.  This can be
              used  from  the  root account to run gpg-connect-agent for another user.  If uid is
              not the current UID a standard PATH is set and the envvar GNUPGHOME is  unset.   To
              override  the  latter  the  option  --homedir can be used.  This option has only an
              effect when used on the command line.  This option has currently no effect  at  all
              on Windows.

       --no-ext-connect
              When  using  -S  or  --exec,  gpg-connect-agent  connects  to  the Assuan server in
              extended mode to allow descriptor passing.  This option makes it use the old mode.

       --no-autostart
              Do not start the gpg-agent or the dirmngr if it has not yet been started.

       --no-history
              In interactive mode the command line history is usually saved and restored  to  and
              from  a  file below the GnuPG home directory.  This option inhibits the use of that
              file.

       --agent-program file
              Specify the agent program to be started if none is running.  The default  value  is
              determined  by  running  gpgconf  with  the option --list-dirs.  Note that the pipe
              symbol (|) is used for a regression test suite hack and may thus not be used in the
              file name.

       --dirmngr-program file
              Specify  the  directory manager (keyserver client) program to be started if none is
              running.  This has only an effect if used together with the option --dirmngr.

       --keyboxd-program file
              Specify the keybox daemon program to be started if none is running.  This has  only
              an effect if used together with the option --keyboxd.

       -r file
       --run file
              Run  the  commands  from  file  at startup and then continue with the regular input
              method.  Note, that commands given on the command  line  are  executed  after  this
              file.

       -s
       --subst
              Run the command /subst at startup.

       --hex  Print  data  lines  in  a  hex  format  and the ASCII representation of non-control
              characters.

       --decode
              Decode data lines.  That is to remove percent escapes but make sure that a new line
              always starts with a D and a space.

       -u
       --unbuffered
              Set  stdin  and  stdout  into  unbuffered I/O mode.  This this sometimes useful for
              scripting.

CONTROL COMMANDS

       While reading Assuan commands, gpg-agent also allows a few special commands to control its
       operation.  These control commands all start with a slash (/).

       /echo args
              Just print args.

       /let name value
              Set the variable name to value.  Variables are only substituted on the input if the
              /subst has been used.  Variables are referenced by prefixing the name with a dollar
              sign  and  optionally include the name in curly braces.  The rules for a valid name
              are identically to those of the standard bourne shell.  This is  not  yet  enforced
              but may be in the future.  When used with curly braces no leading or trailing white
              space is allowed.

              If a variable is not found, it is searched in the environment and if  found  copied
              to the table of variables.

              Variable  functions  are available: The name of the function must be followed by at
              least one space and the  at  least  one  argument.   The  following  functions  are
              available:

              get    Return a value described by the argument.  Available arguments are:

                     cwd    The current working directory.

                     homedir
                            The gnupg homedir.

                     sysconfdir
                            GnuPG's system configuration directory.

                     bindir GnuPG's binary directory.

                     libdir GnuPG's library directory.

                     libexecdir
                            GnuPG's library directory for executable files.

                     datadir
                            GnuPG's data directory.

                     serverpid
                            The  PID  of  the  current  server. Command /serverpid must have been
                            given to return a useful value.

              unescape args
                     Remove C-style escapes from args.  Note  that  \0  and  \x00  terminate  the
                     returned  string  implicitly.   The  string  to  be converted are the entire
                     arguments right behind the delimiting space of the function name.

              unpercent args
              unpercent+ args
                     Remove percent style escaping from  args.   Note  that  %00  terminates  the
                     string  implicitly.   The  string  to  be converted are the entire arguments
                     right behind the delimiting space of the function name. unpercent+ also maps
                     plus signs to a spaces.

              percent args
              percent+ args
                     Escape  the  args using percent style escaping.  Tabs, formfeeds, linefeeds,
                     carriage returns and colons are escaped. percent+ also maps spaces  to  plus
                     signs.

              errcode arg
              errsource arg
              errstring arg
                     Assume arg is an integer and evaluate it using strtol.  Return the gpg-error
                     error code, error source or a formatted string with the error code and error
                     source.

              +
              -
              *
              /
              %      Evaluate  all  arguments  as  long  integers  using  strtol  and  apply this
                     operator.  A division by zero yields an empty string.

              !
              |
              &      Evaluate all arguments as long integers using strtol and apply  the  logical
                     operators NOT, OR or AND.  The NOT operator works on the last argument only.

       /definq name var
              Use  content  of the variable var for inquiries with name.  name may be an asterisk
              (*) to match any inquiry.

       /definqfile name file
              Use content of file for inquiries with name.  name may be an asterisk (*) to  match
              any inquiry.

       /definqprog name prog
              Run prog for inquiries matching name and pass the entire line to it as command line
              arguments.

       /datafile name
              Write all data lines from the server to the file name.   The  file  is  opened  for
              writing  and created if it does not exists.  An existing file is first truncated to
              0.  The data written to the file fully decoded.   Using  a  single  dash  for  name
              writes to stdout.  The file is kept open until a new file is set using this command
              or this command is used without an argument.

       /showdef
              Print all definitions

       /cleardef
              Delete all definitions

       /sendfd file mode
              Open file in mode (which needs to be a valid fopen mode string) and send  the  file
              descriptor  to  the server.  This is usually followed by a command like INPUT FD to
              set the input source for other commands.

       /recvfd
              Not yet implemented.

       /open var file [mode]
              Open file and assign  the  file  descriptor  to  var.   Warning:  This  command  is
              experimental and might change in future versions.

       /close fd
              Close  the  file  descriptor  fd.   Warning: This command is experimental and might
              change in future versions.

       /showopen
              Show a list of open files.

       /serverpid
              Send the Assuan command GETINFO pid to the server and store the  returned  PID  for
              internal purposes.

       /sleep Sleep for a second.

       /hex
       /nohex Same as the command line option --hex.

       /decode
       /nodecode
              Same as the command line option --decode.

       /subst
       /nosubst
              Enable  and  disable  variable  substitution.   It  defaults to disabled unless the
              command line option --subst has been used.  If /subst as been enabled once, leading
              whitespace is removed from input lines which makes scripts easier to read.

       /while condition
       /end   These  commands provide a way for executing loops.  All lines between the while and
              the corresponding end are executed as long as the evaluation of condition yields  a
              non-zero  value  or  is  the string true or yes.  The evaluation is done by passing
              condition to the strtol function.  Example:

           /subst
           /let i 3
           /while $i
             /echo loop counter is $i
             /let i ${- $i 1}
           /end

       /if condition
       /end   These commands provide a way for conditional execution.  All lines between  the  if
              and the corresponding end are executed only if the evaluation of condition yields a
              non-zero value or is the string true or yes.  The evaluation  is  done  by  passing
              condition to the strtol function.

       /run file
              Run commands from file.

       /history --clear
              Clear the command history.

       /bye   Terminate the connection and the program.

       /help  Print a list of available control commands.

SEE ALSO

       gpg-agent(1), scdaemon(1)

       The  full documentation for this tool is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If GnuPG and the
       info program are properly installed at your site, the command

         info gnupg

       should give you access to the complete manual including a menu structure and an index.