Re: Another bug, can't export subkeys or private keys
Steve Sawczyn via Gnupg-users <[email protected]> Mon, 1 Jun 2026 14:08:40 -0500
| Newsgroups | gmane.comp.encryption.gpg.user |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
--===============5307503410488888005== Content-Type: multipart/signed; boundary="Apple-Mail=_15C084E3-9FAB-4D25-9B4A-20AB95A811A2"; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; micalg=pgp-sha256 --Apple-Mail=_15C084E3-9FAB-4D25-9B4A-20AB95A811A2 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_C8F05567-9133-4B63-9AB6-BEFF239A69AE" --Apple-Mail=_C8F05567-9133-4B63-9AB6-BEFF239A69AE Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 In the interest of learning and understanding, is there a use case where = one might actually want to export a sub-key without exporting the = primary key? My immediate thought would be if I want to generate = sub-keys for each specific device, (e.g.) one for my laptop, one for my = iPad, etc. In that case, wouldn=E2=80=99t I want to just export the = relevant sub-key to import on a specific device? This is where the = learning and understanding part comes in: If I were to do this, am I = correct that I might I only be able to sign things on the devices with = the sub-keys, but would not be able to decrypt anything or verify = signatures? For example, I could write an Email on my iPad and sign it = with the iPad=E2=80=99s sub-key, but if someone encrypted a reply using = that sub-key, I would not be able to decrypt it, say, on my iPhone. = I=E2=80=99m just trying to better understand what can and can=E2=80=99t = be done with sub-keys in order to figure out how I should best be using = them =E2=80=94 and, if my understanding is flawed, whether there really = might be a use case for exporting just a sub-key without the primary. Steve > On Jun 1, 2026, at 5:04=E2=80=AFAM, Robert J. Hansen via Gnupg-users = <[email protected]> wrote: >=20 > Signed PGP part >> Another bug the community can confirm. This is a separate issue = 'can't export subkeys or private keys' There are various options to = export secret and public keys and subkeys. Steps to repro: export any = subkey and the primary is always included. Export any private key and = the public key is always included. What would you say at this rate that = is about 20% of your frontend GnuPG malfunctioning. >=20 > I would say this behavior goes back to PGP 5.0, so for you to be = correct I'd need to believe this bug had been hiding in plain sight for = thirty years. Or I could simply realize, "this is the standard behavior = ever since PGP 5.0," and move on. >=20 > I elect for option two. I recommend everyone else do the same. >=20 > _______________________________________________ > Gnupg-users mailing list > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > https://lists.gnupg.org/mailman/listinfo/gnupg-users --Apple-Mail=_C8F05567-9133-4B63-9AB6-BEFF239A69AE Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 <html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" = content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body = style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = line-break: after-white-space;">In the interest of learning and = understanding, is there a use case where one might actually want to = export a sub-key without exporting the primary key? My immediate = thought would be if I want to generate sub-keys for each specific = device, (e.g.) one for my laptop, one for my iPad, etc. In that case, = wouldn=E2=80=99t I want to just export the relevant sub-key to import on = a specific device? This is where the learning and understanding = part comes in: If I were to do this, am I correct that I might I = only be able to sign things on the devices with the sub-keys, but would = not be able to decrypt anything or verify signatures? For example, = I could write an Email on my iPad and sign it with the iPad=E2=80=99s = sub-key, but if someone encrypted a reply using that sub-key, I would = not be able to decrypt it, say, on my iPhone. I=E2=80=99m = just trying to better understand what can and can=E2=80=99t be done with = sub-keys in order to figure out how I should best be using them =E2=80=94 = and, if my understanding is flawed, whether there really might be = a use case for exporting just a sub-key without the = primary.<div><br></div><div>Steve</div><div><div><div><br><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div>On Jun 1, 2026, at 5:04=E2=80=AFAM, Robert J. Hansen = via Gnupg-users <[email protected]> wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><meta charset=3D"UTF-8"><div = style=3D"position: relative;"><div = class=3D"protected-part-DE0D2E4C-424F-43DB-811B-A3EAD8517F2E" = style=3D"padding-top: 0px; position: relative; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, = 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; = font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; = orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; = text-decoration-thickness: auto; text-decoration-style: solid;"><div = class=3D"protected-title-DE0D2E4C-424F-43DB-811B-A3EAD8517F2E" = style=3D"position: absolute; margin-top: -5px; background-color: = rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Signed PGP = part</div><div = class=3D"protected-content-DE0D2E4C-424F-43DB-811B-A3EAD8517F2E" = style=3D"border: 3px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 16px 16px 16px = 20px;"><blockquote type=3D"cite">Another bug the community can confirm. = This is a separate issue 'can't export subkeys or private keys' = There are various options to export secret and public keys and subkeys. = Steps to repro: export any subkey and the primary is always included. = Export any private key and the public key is always included. What would = you say at this rate that is about 20% of your frontend GnuPG = malfunctioning.<br></blockquote><br>I would say this behavior goes back = to PGP 5.0, so for you to be correct I'd need to believe this bug had = been hiding in plain sight for thirty years. Or I could simply realize, = "this is the standard behavior ever since PGP 5.0," and move = on.<br><br>I elect for option two. I recommend everyone else do the = same.<br><br></div></div><span style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); = font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; = font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; = orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; = display: inline = !important;">_______________________________________________</span><br = style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: = 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; = letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; = text-decoration-thickness: auto; text-decoration-style: solid;"><span = style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: = 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; = letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; = display: inline !important;">Gnupg-users mailing list</span><br = style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: = 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; = letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; = text-decoration-thickness: auto; text-decoration-style: solid;"><a = href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; = font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; = font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; = text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; = word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: = 0px;">[email protected]</a><br style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); = font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; = font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; = orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; = text-decoration-thickness: auto; text-decoration-style: solid;"><a = href=3D"https://lists.gnupg.org/mailman/listinfo/gnupg-users" = style=3D"font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; = font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; = orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-stroke-width: = 0px;">https://lists.gnupg.org/mailman/listinfo/gnupg-users</a></div></div>= </blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail=_C8F05567-9133-4B63-9AB6-BEFF239A69AE-- --Apple-Mail=_15C084E3-9FAB-4D25-9B4A-20AB95A811A2 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=signature.asc Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name=signature.asc Content-Description: Message signed with OpenPGP -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQIzBAEBCAAdFiEEQp/n4tC1YGV70Xk0uvR4oErCqpEFAmod2LgACgkQuvR4oErC qpGALg//XLL36qR70xVO2Wgyi7geVjzVkIggMgaH4icU9UnUQzuasvnj3JAvd/cJ GNE64KOLQsYMobPnQ88GAaBIHp+kfC59wtxRhCY7rmxJY4IgxiYkcWosrCbAWxai iAH7/AstyF0akACR3VQz/wk8azkNYDf/WMUm2wEgbASNI6PYTMXF+IoRgyJFyuhe HSrlppkXcvM56AsErLcxitD/P12FABPTBIto43LhOjvzx4Aj6CBrS6e707FEi4Zt 17jQ8kji7wrKj2+9Hq5W1JatOEC4pi0yniwoRfKzBIEogYhAPjZpLDGtkZ1jkesM 2DwRzf5tUt0WI0RvVk0hm7T/ENAZhBXo+hrUFhSX4JBVxfQzvxS+U45l2t7rp7Cz wWdqCXadRZ0ZbQ+z4qxdyOyZ9Oa77emewDfuflzqUNPPNWDQ5hnRPLVZf8/qtEj4 hdRfHyk0wHotMMpB2hHrXCqZy7208f51dMWONEriNv6RiayXB4DB13+Xs2NIs31v /Tk6HWpoH0ZIYkvowypLo6X1rhEvtIggjNg9eQrs8+Hot2joFsV/YhgpW2DqYOFD EEeDVliWkdstFXOEm5Jlgv4glVKmLMuL9fnSAxTtqLHXjh0DMPJJyZ7As/JmkXmU GqbokuSSUoOy4LbM91Ro7G1o11NDBLIUOoEfbF3javXNenp5Ymo= =M2BS -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --Apple-Mail=_15C084E3-9FAB-4D25-9B4A-20AB95A811A2-- --===============5307503410488888005== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ Gnupg-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.gnupg.org/mailman/listinfo/gnupg-users --===============5307503410488888005==--