---
name: "sq-packet-dump"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "sequoia-sq"
version: "1.4.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sq-packet-dump"
---

# sq-packet-dump(1)

List packets

## NAME

sq-packet-dump - List packets

## SYNOPSIS

**sq packet dump** \[*OPTIONS*\] *FILE*

## DESCRIPTION

List packets.

Creates a human-readable description of the packet sequence. Additionally, it can print cryptographic artifacts, and print the raw octet stream similar to [hexdump(1)](/hexdump/1.md), annotating specifically which bytes are parsed into OpenPGP values.

If the packet stream includes an encryption container, \`sq\` will attempt to decrypt it.

## OPTIONS

### Subcommand options

- **--cert**=*FINGERPRINT\|KEYID*

  Dump the packets of the certificate with the specified fingerprint or key ID

- **--cert-email**=*EMAIL*

  Dump the packets of the certificate where a user ID includes the specified email address

- **--cert-file**=*PATH*

  Dump the packets of the cert read from PATH

- **--cert-userid**=*USERID*

  Dump the packets of the certificate with the specified user ID

- **--hex**

  Print a hexdump

- **--mpis**

  Print cryptographic artifacts

- **--output**=*FILE*

  Write to FILE or stdout if omitted

-

  \[default: **-**\]

- **--recipient-file**=*KEY\_FILE*

  Decrypt the message using the key in KEY\_FILE

- **--session-key**=*SESSION-KEY*

  Decrypt an encrypted message using SESSION-KEY

- *FILE*

  Read from FILE or stdin if FILE is '-'

-

  \[default: **-**\]

### Global options

See [**sq**(1)](/sq/1.md) for a description of the global options.

## EXAMPLES

Print the packets of a certificate.

```
sq packet dump juliet.pgp
```

Print the packets including cryptographic artifacts of a certificate.

```
sq packet dump --mpis juliet.pgp
```

Print the packets including a dump of every byte of a certificate.

```
sq packet dump --hex juliet.pgp
```

Prints the packets of an encrypted message, decrypting it using a secret key file.

```
sq packet dump --recipient-file bob-secret.pgp message.pgp
```

## SEE ALSO

[**sq**(1)](/sq/1.md), [**sq-packet**(1)](/sq-packet/1.md).

For the full documentation see \<https://book.sequoia-pgp.org/\>.

## VERSION

1\.4.1