How to use the command tlmgr key (with examples)
The tlmgr key command is used to manage GPG keys that are used to verify TeX Live databases. It allows users to list all keys, add keys from specific files or stdin, and remove specific keys by their ID.
Use case 1: List all keys for TeX Live
Code:
tlmgr key list
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to view a list of all the GPG keys that are currently being used to verify TeX Live databases. It can help in troubleshooting issues related to key verification.
Explanation:
The key list argument lists all GPG keys for TeX Live. It does not require any additional arguments.
Example output:
Key ID: 6FEE7015
Key Fingerprint: C995 2E14 F7A5 4303 38AA EAE0 6FCD 89A8 6FEE 7015
Use case 2: Add a key from a specific file
Code:
sudo tlmgr key add path/to/key.gpg
Motivation: This use case allows you to add a GPG key to TeX Live from a specific file. It is useful when you have obtained a key from a trusted source and want to add it to the list of keys used for verification.
Explanation:
The key add argument is used to add a GPG key to TeX Live. The path/to/key.gpg argument specifies the path to the key file that you want to add.
Example output:
Key ID: A1B2C3D4
Key Fingerprint: 1234 5678 9ABC DEF0 1234 5678 9ABC DEF0 A1B2 C3D4
Use case 3: Add a key from stdin
Code:
cat path/to/key.gpg | sudo tlmgr key add -
Motivation:
This use case allows you to add a GPG key to TeX Live from stdin. It is useful when you want to pipe the contents of a key file directly to the tlmgr command.
Explanation:
The key add argument is used to add a GPG key to TeX Live. The - argument specifies that the key is being read from stdin. The cat path/to/key.gpg command is used to read the key file and pipe its contents to the tlmgr command.
Example output:
Key ID: E1F2G3H4
Key Fingerprint: ABCD EFGH IJKL MNOP QRST UVWX YZ12 3456 7890 E1F2 G3H4
Use case 4: Remove a specific key by its ID
Code:
sudo tlmgr key remove key_id
Motivation: This use case allows you to remove a specific GPG key from TeX Live by its ID. It is useful when you want to remove a key that is no longer needed or has expired.
Explanation:
The key remove argument is used to remove a GPG key from TeX Live. The key_id argument specifies the ID of the key that you want to remove.
Example output:
Key with ID 1234abcd has been successfully removed.
Conclusion:
In this article, we have explored various use cases of the tlmgr key command. We learned how to list all keys for TeX Live, add a key from a specific file or stdin, and remove a key by its ID. These use cases provide the necessary flexibility to manage GPG keys used for verifying TeX Live databases.
