$Id: tl-key-extension.txt 77414 2026-01-19 22:13:22Z karl $
(Public domain.)

How to update TeX Live distribution signing key
===============================================

This must be done every year! It's not optional.

shut down networking service

cp gpg directory from USB stick to computer

export GNUPGHOME=...<COPY OF USBSTICK gpg directory>
export KEYID=0xC78B82D8C79512F79CC0D7C80D5E5D9106BAB6BC
gpg --edit-key $KEYID
> key 2
	# selects the expiring key, check!
> expire
> 16m
	# choose something after the release of the next TL
> save

# export public key for import into svn and TUG account
gpg -a --export $KEYID > texlive.asc

# update USB drive with new stuff, remove from home,
rm -rf $GNUPGHOME
unset GNUPGHOME

# send keys
# make sure that .gnupg/dirmngr.conf does NOT contain hkp-cacert lines!!!

# upload to keyservers. No other good key servers currently known.
keyservers=(
  "hkps://keys.openpgp.org/"
  "hkps://keyserver.ubuntu.com/"
)
for ks in ${keyservers[@]} ; do 
  gpg --send-key --keyserver $ks $KEYID
done

## upload to keys.openpgp.org:
#gpg --export $KEYID | curl -T - https://keys.openpgp.org
## this will give an URL to associate key with email, visit it!

# to check if it's there:
gpg --list-key --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 tex-live

# The new GPG servers strip signatures due to signature poisoning
# attacks, so we tell people to download the key from our web site.

# update TeX Live repository
export GNUPGHOME=/home/texlive/Master/tlpkg/gpg # wherever svn checkout
# use gpg version 1 here!!!
gpg1 --import texlive.asc

svn commit


# On the TUG server. Get the exported public key in
#   texlive.asc, see above for how to export it.
# This needs to be done with the owner of the .gnupg directory,
#   since group access is disallowed by gpg.
gpg --homedir /home/texlive/.gnupg --import texlive.asc

# can view that .asc with:
gpg --homedir /home/texlive/.gnupg texlive.asc

# update web-accessible public key, keeping old files but updating symlink:
cp texlive.asc ~www/texlive/files/texlive`date +%Y`.asc
ln -s texlive`date +%Y`.asc ~www/texlive/files/texlive.asc

# update key example on web page, as in:
su - kberry # or any user other than karl or norbert, or output lacks warning
gpg --import /home/httpd/html/texlive/files/texlive.asc 
gpg --verify /home/ftp/texlive/tlnet/install-tl-unx.tar.gz.sha512{.asc,} \
  >/tmp/vout
# check that the output is a "good signature", etc. Then:
exit # back to normal user
#
# Then, update the web page:
cd /home/httpd/html/texlive/
co -l verify.html
$EDITOR !$
# paste /tmp/vout into the "similar to the following" <pre>,
# replacing what's there.
ci -u -m"`date +%Y` key update"

 General info: 
. tlgpg runs a gpg command with the above TL .gnupg directory, etc.

. tl-sign-file (uses tlgpg) is used to sign texlive.tlpdb.sha512.

. tlgpg-verify foo[.asc] will check for expired key, per below.
  tl-sign-file uses this to make sure it is not signing with an expired key.

. (tl)gpg foo.asc will sometimes report expiration info.

. given files updated in Master/tlpkg/gpg, can export into asc:
  gpg --homedir ..../Master/tlpkg/gpg --export -a $KEYID >tl.asc

. gpg --verify --verbose foo.asc reports some info.

. but exit status is zero even with expired keys; to check,
  use --status-file and inspect:
gpg --verify --verbose --status-file=/tmp/st foo.asc

. see tlgpg, tlgpg-verify, tl-sign-file, TLCrypto.pm for full implementation.
