---
name: "gfsec-split-gpg"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "gfsecret"
version: "0.5.1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gfsec-split-gpg"
---

# gfsec-split-gpg(1)

Split a GnuPG primary private key

## NAME

gfsec-split-gpg - Split a GnuPG primary private key

## SYNOPSIS

**gfsec-split** \[**-h**\|**--help**\] \[**-v**\|**--version**\] \[**-u**\|**--user-id** *id*\] \[**-k**\|**--keep**\] \[**-c**\|**--config** *file*\] \[**-i**\|**--interactive**\] \[**-n**\|**--threshold** *N*\] **URI...**

## DESCRIPTION

**gfsec-split-gpg** is a wrapper script around **gfsec-split** to facilitate splitting a GnuPG private primary key into a number of shares and dispatching the resulting shares onto external storage supports.

The split key can then be temporarily reconstructed [**gfsec-use**(1)](/gfsec-use/1.md).

## OPTIONS

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display the help message.

- **-v**, **--version**

  Display the version message.

- **-u**, **--user-id** ***uid***

  Split the primary key associated with the specified OpenPGP User ID. This option is only needed if the GnuPG private keyring contains more than one primary private key.

- **-k**, **--keep**

  By default, **gfsec-split-gpg** will remove the key from the GnuPG keyring once it has been successfully split. Use this option to prevent the key from being removed.

- **-c**, **--config** ***file***

  Write the configuration file (allowing to reconstruct the secret with [**gfsec-use**(1)](/gfsec-use/1.md) ) to the specified file. Default is $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/gfsecret/masterkey.conf. If *FILE* is a single filename without extension and without a directory part, the file will be placed under the $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/gfsecret directory with a .conf extension.

- **-i**, **--interactive**

  Present the user with an interactive menu to specify the shares to create.

- **-n**, **--threshold** ***N***

  Specify the minimal number of shares required to re-assemble the split file. Default is 2.

## NOTES

This script will only work with GnuPG 2.1 or higher. It will abort before attempting anything if it cannot detect a binary for the correct GnuPG version.

## EXAMPLE INVOCATION

```
gfsec-split-gpg alice \
  file:///home/alice/.local/share/gfsecret/mykey \
  label://USBSTICK/mykey \
  mtp://RF2GB6X704P/Documents/mykey \
```

The above example will split Alice's primary private key into three shares: one on the local filesystem, one on the USB mass storage device with the label *USBSTICK*, and one on the MTP-compliant device with the serial *RF2GB6X704P*. A configuration file will be written in *$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/gfsecret/mysecret* allowing to automatically reconstruct the file with [**gfsec-use**(1)](/gfsec-use/1.md) provided at least one of the two removable supports are present.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to Damien Goutte-Gattat ⟨devel@incenp.org⟩.

## SEE ALSO

[**gfsec-split**(1)](/gfsec-split/1.md), [**gfsec-use**(1)](/gfsec-use/1.md)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2017 Damien Goutte-Gattat

This program is released under the GNU General Public License. See the COPYING file in the source distribution or ⟨http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html⟩.