How to resolve gpg: decryption failed: No secret key error

When any person sends you an encrypted electronic mail, report, or record, they use your GPG “Public” key to encrypt the report. Your public key’s decryption secret is your GPG “Private” or “Secret” key. However, in case you are getting the “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error whilst decrypting the report, it states that your GPG keypair is unsuitable or the general public key used for the encryption didn’t fit with its similar key in your device.

If you end up in any such state of affairs, then no worries! This write-up will show other strategies for fixing the “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error in your Linux device. So, let’s get started!

Method 1: Solve gpg: decryption failed: No secret key error by means of killing the gpg-agent

To resolve the “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error, the primary approach you’ll take a look at is to kill the prevailing “gpg-agent” procedure. The “gpg-agent” is a daemon that assists in managing the personal or secret keys in a protocol-independent way. It serves as a backend for gpgsm, gpg, and a couple of different methods. To kill the “gpg-agent”, open your terminal by means of urgent “CTRL+ALT+T” after which execute the next command:

The device will restart the “gpg-agent” when wanted or demanded by means of the gpg, gpgconf, gpgsm, or gpg-connect-agent. You too can execute the straightforward “gpg -k” command to cause the “gpg-agent” restart procedure.

If your user-space systemd controls the “gpg-agent” daemon, then take a look at its standing first:

After that, prevent the “gpg-agent” after which get started it once more with the assistance of the next instructions:

Then, once more checkout the standing of “gpg-agent”:

Method 2 Solve gpg: decryption failed: No secret key error by means of eliminating GPG cache

If the former approach didn’t be just right for you, then yet one more factor you’ll do is take away the GPG cache first after which restart the “gpg-agent”.

You can execute the next rm command for eliminating the GPG cache:

Then, restart the “gpg-agent” in your Linux device:

Method 3: Solve gpg: decryption failed: No secret key error by means of putting in and configuring pinentry-tty

If you’re the usage of an Ubuntu device with the Gnome GUI by means of default, then your GPG should be the usage of the “/usr/bin/pinentry-gnome3”. To repair the encountered “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error you’ll set up the “pinentry-tty” program and upload it to the gpg-agent configuration report.

The “pinentry-tty” is a program that allows you to input passphrases or PINs securely. This characteristic comes in handy for getting into passphrases whilst you make the most of any encryption program equivalent to GPG. To set up in your device, sort out the next command:

In your next step, we can set the “pinentry–tty” because the default program for the gpg-agent. For this function, at first open up the “gpg-agent.conf” report within the nano editor:

Then, upload below-given line within the opened configuration report:

After doing so, press “CTRL+O” to save lots of the added adjustments. What it’s a must to do now could be to reload your gpg-agent in order that it takes impact from the changed settings:

Method 4: Solve gpg: decryption failed: No secret key error by means of exporting and uploading the personal key

If the specified secret key isn’t discovered at the different device, you’ll get the “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error even with the right kind non-public key or the passphrase. To resolve the encountered factor on this specific state of affairs, you’ll export the name of the game key after which import it at the different device.

To accomplish that, at first execute the below-given command to checklist out the GPG keys the usage of your consumer ID “uid”:

Note down the consumer ID from the output. Your consumer ID “uid” shall be positioned after the “pub”.

Now, you’ll use the next command for exporting your GPG secret key:

Lastly, import the created “private.key” report at the different device:

The output will permit you to know that the name of the game secret is imported:

Method 5: Solve gpg: decryption failed: No secret key error by means of surroundings the GPG key believe degree

After copying your GPG keypair, in case you are nonetheless dealing with the “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error then it’s a must to set its believe degree. Execute the next “gpg” command to edit the settings of your gpg key:

After executing the above-given command, a GPG console gets lively, then sort “trust” and hit “Enter”:

Now, a menu will seem at the display screen for deciding on the believe degree, and it’s going to have the next choices:

Since you’ve got generated your key, opt for possibility 5, “I trust ultimately”, then ascertain the added possibility and go out from the “gpg” console:

Your “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error will have to be solved now!

Conclusion

While decrypting an encrypted report, when you’ve got encountered the gpg: decryption failed: No secret key error signifies that the encrypted report’s public key does no longer fit your GPG key pair. There exist a couple of answers for fixing the required error. This write-up demonstrated find out how to resolve “gpg: decryption failed: No secret key” error the usage of 5 other strategies equivalent to killing the gpg-agent, eliminating the GPG cache, putting in and configuring pinentry-tty, exporting and uploading the personal key, and by means of surroundings the believe degree.