Page MenuHome GnuPG
Create Task
Maniphest T4137

IPC syntax error when `gpg` starts `gpg-agent` without `$TERM` variable
Closed, ResolvedPublic
Actions

Description

For example, if gpg is used as part of a script executed from a window manager (e.g. passmenu or rofi-pass) the $TERM variable may not be set due to the window manager not being executed from within a shell (e.g. started from a display manager like LightDM). This should still allow us to access the GUI pinentry dialog.

When running gpg/gpg-agent without $TERM:

$ gpgconf --kill gpg-agent
$ echo | TERM= gpg --clearsign
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256


gpg: signing failed: IPC syntax error
gpg: [stdin]: clear-sign failed: IPC syntax error

Running gpg/gpg-agent with $TERM:

$ gpgconf --kill gpg-agent
$ echo | TERM=xterm gpg --clearsign
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256



[opens pinentry dialog as expected]

OS: NixOS
gnupg: 2.2.9
pinentry: 1.1.0

Details

Version
2.2.9

Revisions and Commits

rG GnuPG
rG4c8d5eb0bdd3 agent: Allow TERM="".
rG0076bef2026a agent: Allow TERM="".

Related Objects

Event Timeline

Enzime created this task.Sep 10 2018, 1:47 PM
• werner triaged this task as Low priority.Sep 10 2018, 3:24 PM
• werner removed a project: pinentry.
• werner added a subscriber: • werner.

Actually it fails only when you set TERM to the empty string. Unsetting TERM still works:

$ sh
$ gpgconf --kill gpg-agent
$ unset TERM
$ echo | gpg --clearsign

We can't add a fix for that in pinentry because the libassuan option handler emits the error. Thus it needs to be fixed in gnupg. Thanks for the report.

In any case I would strongly recommend to always set TERM to vt100 or any other common values.

• gniibe added a commit: rG0076bef2026a: agent: Allow TERM=""..Jun 4 2019, 4:36 AM
• gniibe closed this task as Resolved.Jun 4 2019, 4:37 AM
• gniibe claimed this task.
• gniibe added a subscriber: • gniibe.

Fixed in master (to be 2.3).

• werner mentioned this in T5036: pinentry won't launch when gpg is invoked by Firefox when Firefox runs with native wayland support in a wayland DE.Aug 26 2020, 3:11 PM
• werner added a commit: rG4c8d5eb0bdd3: agent: Allow TERM=""..Aug 26 2020, 3:14 PM
• werner merged a task: T5036: pinentry won't launch when gpg is invoked by Firefox when Firefox runs with native wayland support in a wayland DE.Aug 26 2020, 3:19 PM
• werner added a subscriber: doronbehar.
• werner mentioned this in T5030: Release GnuPG 2.2.22 .Aug 27 2020, 3:03 PM