Page MenuHome GnuPG
Create Task
Maniphest T6407

Portable installation shows empty window for Kleopatra
Closed, InvalidPublic
Actions

Description

Following the instructions in https://wiki.gnupg.org/Gpg4win/PortableVersion I did this:
Install Gpg4win regularly on a different PC (necessary to be able to create a portable version it seems), then perform the steps from the instructions.
On that PC it seemed to work...

Next I transferred the portable installation to another PC that is rather locked down ("deep-inspecting" software that reads key strokes in web browsers and data sent over the network (it's called "security" here)). Starting Kleopatra from the bin subdirectory I got a message that the home directory could not be found. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to set persistent environment variables on the PC.
So I set GNUPGHOME to the Home subdirectory in the portable installation directory in side a "DOS Box". When running Kleopatra next, I just get an empty Window.
However clocking with the mouse inside it seems the elements are there, just not displayed, because I get popups and other prompt.
Also "seup" and "about" seems to work.

That makes me wonder: Are the instructions somewhat incomplete?

Details

Version
4.1.0

Event Timeline

uwi created this task.Mar 13 2023, 10:50 AM
• aheinecke closed this task as Invalid.Mar 13 2023, 11:35 AM
• aheinecke added a subscriber: • aheinecke.

It seems that you are missing the step "Create a new file called gpgconf.ctl in the folder Gpg4win_Portable/bin."

This is what GnuPG checks to figure out if it should use the standard home directory or the one from the portable installation. For the empty stuff, please report this with a screenshot I have no idea what you mean by empty window. Is the keylist just empty? are the buttons there?

Please use the mailing lists or the forum for community support: https://www.gpg4win.org/community.html

uwi added a comment.Mar 14 2023, 9:28 AM

I checked it: There was an empty bin/gpgconf.ctl, and there still is.
Trying it again today, I still get error messages most notably about failed self-tests, but surprisingly the window is no longer empty.
Instead it seems to take an eternity (minutes, actually still not finished after three minutes) until the certificate cache is loaded.
Maybe the problem is the "Check Point Endpoint Security" being active on the client. It looks as if it prevents use of Kleopatra.
As I don't have administrator rights ("for security reasons"), I cannot analyze what's actually going on.