[pkg-gnupg-maint] Bug#883005: Bug#883005: gpg2 too annoying about lack of a passphrase

[Daniel Kahn Gillmor]

Hi Ian--

On Tue 2017-11-28 17:20:56 +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> Package: gnupg2
> Version: 2.0.26-6+deb8u1
>
> If you try to get gpg2 to generate a subkey with no passphrase, it:
>
> 1. Prompts you for the passphrase, so you click "ok" without
>    entering one.
>
> 2. Warns you that the passphrase too short, and asks you to 
>    confirm to proceed anyway
>
> 3. Warns you that a secure passphrase has at least 1 somethingorother
>    and this one doesn't, and asks you to confirm to proceed anyway

I'm not seeing this particular warning on the version of GnuPG that we
have in debian stable.  Can you confirm that you don't have any sort of
custom local configuration, or a gpg-check-pattern patternfile set up on
your machine?

> 4. Warns you that you should have passphrase, and asks you to 
>    confirm to proceed anyway
>
> 5. Asks you to re-enter the passphrase, so you have to click OK again
>
> At least 3 of these 5 prompts are superfluous.

I agree that these prompts are annoying.

Using a modern GnuPG (e.g. the one in debian stable), have you tried:

    gpg --passphrase '' --pinentry-mode=loopback --quick-add-key $FINGERPRINT

That should provide you with a prompt-free workaround for adding a
subkey with no passphrase.

       --dkg
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