Getting Started with GpgFrontend

Welcome to GpgFrontend, the cross-platform, OpenPGP encryption tool designed for simplicity and security. This guide will walk you through the installation process tailored to your operating system, ensuring you can start securing your communications as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Before You Begin: Prerequisites

GpgFrontend leverages the robust functionalities of GnuPG for encryption, decryption, and key management. It is crucial to have GnuPG installed on your device to make full use of GpgFrontend.

Windows users:
GnuPG is bundled with GpgFrontend for Windows. You do not need to install it separately.

macOS users:
Install GnuPG before running GpgFrontend.

• Recommended: brew install gnupg (using Homebrew)
• Alternatively: Download GPG for OSX from GPG for OSX.

Linux users:
Most modern distributions include GnuPG by default. To check your version, run gpg --version

If you need to install or upgrade:

• Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install gpg
• Fedora: sudo yum install gnupg

BSD users:
GnuPG must be installed manually. Refer to your system’s package manager or build from source.

Caution

Starting from GpgFrontend version 2.1.8, GnuPG 2.4 or later is required for all features to function correctly. GnuPG 2.2 is the minimum supported version for basic functionality, but some advanced features may be unavailable.

Brief Installation Guide

GpgFrontend is distributed through multiple official channels, making installation easy on all major platforms. For the latest download options and installation commands for your system, please visit the Downloads page.

The installation methods below provide general guidance. If you prefer installing via package managers such as WinGet, Microsoft Store, or Flatpak, please refer to the Downloads page for the most up-to-date and recommended options.

Windows(Portable)

1. Download the portable version from GpgFrontend’s latest releases, labeled GpgFrontend-*******-windows-x86_64-portable.zip.

2. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file.

3. Run GpgFrontend.exe from the extracted bin directory.

Windows(Installer)

1. Download the MSIX installer from GpgFrontend’s latest releases, named GpgFrontend-*******-windows-x86_64.msix.

2. Install GpgFrontend by following the on-screen instructions. After installation, you can access GpgFrontend directly from your desktop.

macOS

1. Ensure GnuPG is installed (see prerequisites above).

2. Download the GpgFrontend-*******-macos-**.dmg file from GpgFrontend’s latest releases.

3. Mount the DMG file and run GpgFrontend.

4. Optional: Drag GpgFrontend into your Applications folder for easy access.

   

Linux

1. Ensure GnuPG is installed (see prerequisites above).

2. Download the AppImage from GpgFrontend’s latest releases, labeled GpgFrontend-*******-linux-******.AppImage.

3. Make it executable: chmod u+x ./GpgFrontend-***-linux-******.AppImage.

4. Launch the AppImage with a double-click or through the terminal.

BSD

Currently, there are no binary releases for BSD systems. However, GpgFrontend can be compiled and run on BSD. Refer to the GitHub repository for build instructions.

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Basic Operations Index

Before diving into the specific operations, we highly recommend that beginners start with the Fundamental Concepts guide. It provides an essential overview of encryption principles, key management basics, and the main concepts used throughout GpgFrontend.

Then, you can quickly get started by referring to the following topic-specific guides. For more details about operations and the user interface, please refer to: Interface Understanding

• Generating a Key Pair
• Importing and Exporting Key Pairs
• File Encryption and Decryption
• Text Encryption and Decryption
• Using Key Groups
• Key Server Operations
• Smart Card Operations

Tip

You can also explore more topic-specific guides in the “Brief Guides” section. If you encounter any questions, it is recommended to consult the dedicated documentation for each feature first.