🔐 Why Use GPG Signature

Note

GPG signature verifies the identity and integrity of your commits. When verified, GitHub displays a Verified badge on your commits, boosting their credibility and security.

📦 Install GnuPG

Install using Homebrew. See Homebrew Setup Guide.

$ brew install gnupg

🔑 Generate GPG Key

1. Start the key generation

   $ gpg --full-generate-key

2. Choose key type

   Please select what kind of key you want:
      (1) RSA and RSA (default)
      (2) DSA and Elgamal
      (3) DSA (sign only)
      (4) RSA (sign only)
   Your selection? 1

3. Set key size

   RSA keys may be between 1024 and 4096 bits long.
   What keysize do you want? (3072) 4096

4. Set expiration

   Please specify how long the key should be valid.
           0 = key does not expire
         <n>  = key expires in n days
         <n>w = key expires in n weeks
         <n>m = key expires in n months
         <n>y = key expires in n years
   Key is valid for? (0) 1y

5. Enter your info

   Real name: Your Name
   Email address: [email protected]
   Comment: (optional - can be left blank)

   The email must match your GitHub account email, or verification won't work!

6. Set a passphrase

   Enter passphrase: (enter a secure password)
   Repeat: (confirm)

🔍 View Your Keys

$ gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format=long

Example output:

sec   rsa4096/3AA5C34371567BD2 2026-06-04 [SC] [expires: 2027-06-04]
      85E38EC66371567BD2E7D6C4216A591059929882
uid   [ultimate] Your Name <[email protected]>
ssb   rsa4096/42B317FD4BA89E7A 2026-06-04 [E] [expires: 2027-06-04]

Extract the 16-character key ID after the / on the sec line, like 3AA5C34371567BD2

⚙️ Configure Git to Use GPG

1️⃣ Enable GPG signing globally

$ git config --global commit.gpgsign true
$ git config --global tag.gpgsign true

2️⃣ Set your signing key

$ git config --global user.signingkey 3AA5C34371567BD2

3️⃣ Configure name and email

$ git config --global user.name "yourname"
$ git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

4️⃣ pinentry-mac Optional

Want a prompt when entering your PIN or passphrase? Install pinentry‑mac.

$ brew install pinentry-mac
$ echo "pinentry-program $(which pinentry-mac)" >> ~/.gnupg/gpg-agent.conf
$ killall gpg-agent

🚀 Export & Upload Public Key to GitHub

🔑 Export your public key

$ gpg --armor --export 3AA5C34371567BD2

Output:

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

mI0EZmfQxQEEALzX2hZ3...（lots of characters in the middle）...kMQQA
AKCAKQDfw=
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

📤 Add it to GitHub

1. Open GitHub Settings

   Go to SSH and GPG keys

2. Create a new GPG key
   Click the "New GPG key" button

3. Paste your public key
   Copy the entire key (everything from -----BEGIN to -----END) into the text box

4. Save
   Click "Add GPG key"

✅ Test Your GPG Signature

1. Make a commit

   $ git commit -S -m "Test GPG signature"

   Info

   • The -S flag forces signing for this commit
   • If you set commit.gpgsign true, you can skip -S
   • It'll prompt for your GPG passphrase (the one you set earlier)

2. Push it

   $ git push

3. Check on GitHub

   Visit your repo and look at your commit history—you should see the green Verified badge

📚 References

• GitHub Docs - Signing Commits
• GitHub Docs - Generating a new GPG key
• GnuPG Documentation

Changelog

6/8/26, 5:07 AM

View All Changelog

• f8645-docs(gpg): 📝 add GPG doccumentationon 6/8/26

Copyright

Copyright Ownership:Emirio Bomb

License under:Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0)

Contributors: Emirio Bomb

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