NAME

       sq sign - Sign messages or data files

SYNOPSIS

       sq sign [OPTIONS] FILE

DESCRIPTION

       Sign messages or data files.

       Creates  signed  messages  or  detached signatures.  Detached signatures are often used to
       sign software packages.

       The converse operation is `sq verify`.

       `sq sign` respects the reference time set by the top-level `--time` argument.   When  set,
       it  uses  the  specified  time instead of the current time, when determining what keys are
       valid, and it sets the signature's creation time to the  reference  time  instead  of  the
       current time.

OPTIONS

   Subcommand options
       --append
              Append a signature to existing signature

       --binary
              Emit binary data

       --cleartext
              Create a cleartext-signed message

       --merge=SIGNED-MESSAGE
              Merge signatures from the input and SIGNED-MESSAGE

       --message
              Create an inline-signed message

       --mode=MODE
              Select the signature mode

              Signatures  can  be made in binary mode or in text mode.  Text mode normalizes line
              endings, which makes signatures more robust when  a  text  is  transported  over  a
              channel which may change line endings.  In doubt, create binary signatures.

              [default: binary]

              [possible values: binary, text]

       --notarize
              Sign a message and all existing signatures

       --output=FILE
              Write to FILE or stdout if omitted

              [default: -]

       --signature-file
              Create a detached signature file

       --signature-notation NAME VALUE
              Add  a  notation  to  the signature.  A user-defined notation's name must be of the
              form `name@a.domain.you.control.org`. If the notation's name  starts  with  a  `!`,
              then  the  notation  is  marked  as  being  critical.  If a consumer of a signature
              doesn't understand a critical notation, then it will  ignore  the  signature.   The
              notation is marked as being human readable.

       --signer=FINGERPRINT|KEYID
              Create the signature using the key with the specified fingerprint or key ID

       --signer-email=EMAIL
              Create  the  signature  using  the key where a user ID includes the specified email
              address

       --signer-file=PATH
              Create the signature using the key read from PATH

       --signer-userid=USERID
              Create the signature using the key with the specified user ID

        FILE  Read from FILE or stdin if FILE is '-'

              [default: -]

   Global options
       See sq(1) for a description of the global options.

EXAMPLES

       Create a signed message.

              sq sign --signer-file juliet-secret.pgp --message document.txt

       Create a detached signature.

              sq sign --signer-file juliet-secret.pgp --signature-file \
                     document.txt

       Create a signature with the specified creation time.

              sq sign --signer-file juliet-secret.pgp --time 2024-02-29 \
                     --signature-file document.txt

SEE ALSO

       sq(1).

       For the full documentation see <https://book.sequoia-pgp.org>.

VERSION

       0.40.0 (sequoia-openpgp 1.21.2)