gpg --gen-key issue

Oliver Day oliver.day at gmail.com
Tue Dec 7 20:01:49 UTC 2004


ISSUE: gpg --gen-key fails with error "gpg: can't create
`/user/.gnupg/random_seed': No such file or directory"
FIX: create .gnupg directory by hand "mkdir ~/.gnupg"

DETAILS: I spent some time this morning trying to generate a key
unsuccesfully.  The generation process got as far as creating the
random seed but could not create the ~/.gnupg directory.  After some
fruitless searching I created the ~/.gnupg directory by hand and the
process worked flawlessly.
It actually seems like the random seed generator fails and then kicks
off again and then ultimately dies out.
<snip>
We need to generate a lot of random bytes. It is a good idea to perform
some other action (type on the keyboard, move the mouse, utilize the
disks) during the prime generation; this gives the random number
generator a better chance to gain enough entropy.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++..+++++.+++++++++++++++++++++++++.+++++.+++++++++++++++.+++++++++++++++.++++++++++++++++++++.++++++++++.++++++++++>.+++++.................................................+++++
We need to generate a lot of random bytes. It is a good idea to perform
some other action (type on the keyboard, move the mouse, utilize the
disks) during the prime generation; this gives the random number
generator a better chance to gain enough entropy.
.+++++.+++++++++++++++.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++..+++++.++++++++++++++++++++.+++++.+++++.+++++++++++++++++++++++++>+++++..>+++++.......<+++++...........>+++++.<+++++....>+++++......<+++++................................................................................+++++^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
gpg: no writable public keyring found: eof
Key generation failed: eof
gpg: can't create `/user/.gnupg/random_seed': No such file or directory




More information about the fedora-list mailing list