Finding Your Settings
The settings window was redesigned in v2.2.2. The row of tabs along the top is gone. In its place there is a search box and a list of pages down the left side.
Open it with Settings in the menu bar. On macOS it is called Preference, under the GpgFrontend menu.
Just Search
Section titled “Just Search”The fastest way to find anything is the search box at the top. It looks at page names and at the things on each page, so you do not have to guess which page a setting is on.
Type pin and it takes you to the page with the PIN setting. Type proxy,
theme, or keyserver and the same thing happens.
The Four Groups
Section titled “The Four Groups”If you would rather browse, the pages are sorted into four groups:
- Application: how the program looks and behaves.
- Keys & Engines: where your keys live and which engine handles them.
- Features: extras you can turn on.
- System: the technical settings, plus logging.
What Is on Each Page
Section titled “What Is on Each Page”| Page | Group | What you change there |
|---|---|---|
| General | Application | Language, which engine to use, file panel start folder, expiry warnings |
| Appearance | Application | Theme, icon size, which buttons appear on the toolbar, fonts |
| Network | Application | Proxy settings |
| Key Databases | Keys & Engines | Add, edit and remove key databases |
| GnuPG | Keys & Engines | Point at your own GnuPG, clear the password cache, restart GnuPG |
| rPGP | Keys & Engines | How long the rPGP engine remembers a passphrase |
| Key Servers | Keys & Engines | The list of key servers, and which one is the default |
| Instant Messaging | Features | Your phrase for instant messaging |
| Advanced | System | How the program protects its own key, and how much it writes to the log |
Some pages only show up when they apply to you. GnuPG and rPGP appear only if your copy has that engine. Key Servers comes from a module, so it appears only while the key server module is switched on. You can check that in Module Controller.
When a Restart Is Needed
Section titled “When a Restart Is Needed”Most settings take effect the moment you click OK. A few cannot.
If you changed one of those, GpgFrontend shows a Restart Required message when you click OK. It tells you which page the change was on and offers to do the restart for you. That is usually the easiest choice.
The changes that need one are:
- Changing the language or the theme. These only reload the window.
- Changing the default engine, editing key databases, or anything on the Advanced page. These restart the program.
One exception: the buttons in the Maintenance part of the GnuPG page act straight away. Cancel does not undo those.
If GnuPG Stops Responding
Section titled “If GnuPG Stops Responding”The GnuPG page has a Maintenance section with three buttons. They are the first thing to try when GnuPG hangs, forgets your passphrase at the wrong moment, or stops seeing your smart card:
- Clear Password Cache: make GnuPG forget every passphrase it is holding.
- Reload Components: have GnuPG re-read its settings.
- Restart Components: stop and restart GnuPG’s background programs.
These act the moment you click them, and are not undone by Cancel. Restarting interrupts anything GnuPG is in the middle of, so do not use it during a large file operation.
Checking What Is Actually in Use
Section titled “Checking What Is Actually in Use”When something looks wrong, it helps to see what GpgFrontend thinks it is running. Open Help, then About, then the Status tab.
It shows which profile you are in, which engine and version, whether this is a portable copy, and how the application key is protected.