Key Categories

Once you have a lot of keys, finding the right one takes longer than it should. A category is a label you put on keys to tidy them up, such as Work, Family, or Servers.

A category changes nothing about the keys themselves. It only changes what you see.

Not the same as a key group

A key group is a shortcut for encrypting to several people at once, and it shows up in the key list as something you can pick as a recipient.

A category never does that. It is only a way of sorting the list. See Key Group if that is what you are after.

Where to Find Them

Categories appear in two places:

• Key Management window: a list down the left side. This is where you create and change them.
• Key Toolbox in the main window: a thin coloured strip. You can switch between categories here, but not edit them.

Clicking a category shows only the keys in it.

The Ready-Made Ones

Some categories are built in. They fill themselves automatically:

• All: every key.
• Has Private Key: keys you own.
• Only Public Key: other people’s keys.
• Key Group: your key groups.
• Expiring Soon: keys that run out in the next 30 days.
• Expired, Revoked, Disabled, No Primary Key: keys with a problem.

You cannot rename or delete these.

Change what “soon” means

Open Settings, go to General, and set Warn about keys expiring within to any number of days you like.

Make Your Own

1. Open the Key Management window.

2. Click the + button at the bottom of the category list.

3. Type a name and click OK.

4. Pick a colour if you want one, or just click Cancel to get an automatic one.

Put Keys in a Category

1. Find the key in the key list. Select several at once if you like.

2. Right-click it and open the Category submenu.

3. Tick the category you want.

To take a key out again, go to that category, right-click the key, and choose Remove From This Category.

A key can be in as many categories as you like.

Rename, Recolour, Reorder

Right-click one of your own categories to find Rename Category, Set Colour, and Reset Colour.

To change the order, drag a category up or down the list. The order is remembered.

Delete Category removes the label only. Your keys are never touched.

Where the Favourite tab went

GpgFrontend v2.2.2 replaced the old Favourite tab with categories. Old favourites are not carried over, so make a category and put those keys back in it.

Good to Know

• Categories belong to one key database. If you use more than one, each has its own set. See Multi-Key Database.
• The search box searches inside the category you are looking at.