Provided by: guncat_1.01.02-1_amd64 
NAME
guncat - catenates files, unencrypting pgp encrypted sections
SYNOPSIS
guncat [OPTIONS] [file(s)]
[OPTIONS] - cf. section OPTIONS
[file(s)] - optional files to process (cf. section INPUT FILE(S))
DESCRIPTION
Guncat was designed to tackle a problem encountered with (partically) PGP encrypted files (which may be
encountered in, e.g., mailboxes). Tools to process text-files (like grep(1), or less(1)) may be used to
process those files, but standard tools like cat(1) leave PGP encrypted sections within such files as-is.
As a consequence, browsing the `real’ contents (i.e., clear-text sections and the unencrypted contents of
PGP encrypted sections) of those files is difficult.
Guncat acts like cat, but unencrypts encrypted sections encountered in the files processed by guncat,
copying the unencrypted information to guncat’s standard output stream, which may thereupon be processed
by other tools.
PGP/GPG encrypted sections are surrounded by
-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
and
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----
markers. Whenever guncat encounters such sections they will be processed by gpg(1). Gpg needs a
passphrase to unencrypt such sections. The required passphrase may be provided to guncat, which will then
forward the passphrase to gpg, or gpg will itself ask for the required passphrase.
When providing an incorrect passphrase to guncat two additional attempts to provide the correct
passphrase are granted. If the third attempt also fails, guncat terminates. Furthermore, when an
incorrect passphrase is provided, the currently processed file must be reset to the beginning of the
encrypted section. This implies that the processed file must be seekable. If the file does not support
seeking operations then guncat also terminates.
RETURN VALUE
Guncat returns 0 to the operating system unless an error occurs (0 is also returned when usage info
(option --help), guncat’s version number (option --version), or the configured gpg call (option
--show-gpg) is requested.
INPUT FILE(S)
When no file arguments are provided (or when - is provided) the standard input stream is processed. Note
that when the standard input stream is specified and option --passphrase is specified the standard input
stream’s first line is used as gpg’s passphrase.
Any other argument is considered a file (path specifications are allowed) to be processed in sequence by
guncat.
If an argument does not refer to a readable file, guncat terminates with an error message.
OPTIONS
Where available, single letter options are listed between parentheses following their associated
long-option variants. Single letter options require arguments if their associated long options require
arguments as well.
o --gpg=path
Path to the gpg program (default: /usr/bin/gpg)
o --gpg-msg=path (-m)
Path to where gpg should write its messages. Specify - to write the messages to the standard error
stream. By default messages are suppressed.
o --gpg-no-batch
Option --batch is omitted when calling gpg.
o --gpg-option=option (-m)
Add option to gpg’s call. If the option contains blanks, surround option by single or double
quotes.
o --help (-h)
Basic usage information is written to the standard output stream.
o --locate-keys -l
Locate missing public keys at the configured key server(s) (by default missing keys are not
searched for).
o --passphrase -p
The passphrase is read as the first line from the standard input stream (without being echoed);
otherwise the passphrase is handled by gpg itself (e.g., using gpg-agent(1)).
o --show-gpg
Show the gpg command that would be used, and quit, returning 0.
o --tty-OK -t
Option --no-tty is omitted when calling gpg.
o --verbose=[0-2]
Specifies gpg’s verbosity level. When calling gpg, by default --quiet is specified; with --verbose
0 gpg’s option --no-verbose is specified; otherwise --verbose is specified once or twice.
o --version (-v)
Guncat’s version number is written to the standard output stream.
SEE ALSO
cat(1), gpg(1), gpg-agent(1), grep(1), less(1).
BUGS
None reported
COPYRIGHT
This is free software, distributed under the terms of the `GNU General Public License’. Copyright remains
with the author. Guncat is available at https://fbb-git.github.io/guncat/
ORGANIZATION
Center for Information Technology, University of Groningen.
AUTHOR
Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl).