# phpman > man > GPG-CONNECT-AGENT(1) [GPG-CONNECT-AGENT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/GPG-CONNECT-AGENT/1/markdown) GNU Privacy Guard 2.2 [GPG-CONNECT-AGENT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/GPG-CONNECT-AGENT/1/markdown) ## NAME **gpg-connect-agent** - Communicate with a running agent ## SYNOPSIS **gpg-connect-agent** [_options_]_[commands]_ ## DESCRIPTION The **gpg-connect-agent** is a utility to communicate with a running **gpg-agent**. It is useful to check out the commands **gpg-agent** provides using the Assuan interface. It might also be use‐ ful for scripting simple applications. Input is expected at stdin and output gets printed to stdout. It is very similar to running **gpg-agent** in server mode; but here we connect to a running in‐ stance. The following options may be used: ### -v ### --verbose Output additional information while running. ### -q ### --quiet Try to be as quiet as possible. **--homedir** _dir_ Set the name of the home directory to _dir_. If this option is not used, the home direc‐ tory defaults to ‘_~/.gnupg_’. It is only recognized when given on the command line. It also overrides any home directory stated through the environment variable ‘_GNUPGHOME_’ or (on Windows systems) by means of the Registry entry _HKCU\Soft__‐ _ware\GNU\GnuPG:HomeDir_. On Windows systems it is possible to install GnuPG as a portable application. In this case only this command line option is considered, all other ways to set a home direc‐ tory are ignored. To install GnuPG as a portable application under Windows, create an empty file named ‘_gpgconf.ctl_’ in the same directory as the tool ‘_gpgconf.exe_’. The root of the in‐ stallation is then that directory; or, if ‘_gpgconf.exe_’ has been installed directly below a directory named ‘_bin_’, its parent directory. You also need to make sure that the following directories exist and are writable: ‘_ROOT/home_’ for the GnuPG home and ‘_ROOT/var/cache/gnupg_’ for internal cache files. **--agent-program** _file_ Specify the agent program to be started if none is running. The default value is de‐ termined by running **gpgconf** with the option **--list-dirs**. Note that the pipe symbol (**|**) is used for a regression test suite hack and may thus not be used in the file name. **--dirmngr-program** _file_ Specify the directory manager (keyserver client) program to be started if none is run‐ ning. This has only an effect if used together with the option **--dirmngr**. ### --dirmngr Connect to a running directory manager (keyserver client) instead of to the gpg-agent. If a dirmngr is not running, start it. ### -S **--raw-socket** _name_ Connect to socket _name_ assuming this is an Assuan style server. Do not run any spe‐ cial initializations or environment checks. This may be used to directly connect to any Assuan style socket server. ### -E **--exec** Take the rest of the command line as a program and it's arguments and execute it as an Assuan server. Here is how you would run **gpgsm**: gpg-connect-agent --exec gpgsm --server Note that you may not use options on the command line in this case. ### --no-ext-connect When using **-S** or **--exec**, **gpg-connect-agent** connects to the Assuan server in extended mode to allow descriptor passing. This option makes it use the old mode. ### --no-autostart Do not start the gpg-agent or the dirmngr if it has not yet been started. ### -r **--run** _file_ Run the commands from _file_ at startup and then continue with the regular input method. Note, that commands given on the command line are executed after this file. ### -s ### --subst Run the command **/subst** at startup. **--hex** Print data lines in a hex format and the ASCII representation of non-control charac‐ ters. ### --decode Decode data lines. That is to remove percent escapes but make sure that a new line always starts with a D and a space. ## CONTROL COMMANDS While reading Assuan commands, gpg-agent also allows a few special commands to control its operation. These control commands all start with a slash (**/**). **/echo** _args_ Just print _args_. **/let** _name_ _value_ Set the variable _name_ to _value_. Variables are only substituted on the input if the **/subst** has been used. Variables are referenced by prefixing the name with a dollar sign and optionally include the name in curly braces. The rules for a valid name are identically to those of the standard bourne shell. This is not yet enforced but may be in the future. When used with curly braces no leading or trailing white space is allowed. If a variable is not found, it is searched in the environment and if found copied to the table of variables. Variable functions are available: The name of the function must be followed by at least one space and the at least one argument. The following functions are available: **get** Return a value described by the argument. Available arguments are: **cwd** The current working directory. **homedir** The gnupg homedir. **sysconfdir** GnuPG's system configuration directory. **bindir** GnuPG's binary directory. **libdir** GnuPG's library directory. **libexecdir** GnuPG's library directory for executable files. **datadir** GnuPG's data directory. **serverpid** The PID of the current server. Command **/serverpid** must have been given to return a useful value. **unescape** _args_ Remove C-style escapes from _args_. Note that **\0** and **\x00** terminate the returned string implicitly. The string to be converted are the entire arguments right behind the delimiting space of the function name. **unpercent** _args_ **unpercent+** _args_ Remove percent style escaping from _args_. Note that **%00** terminates the string implicitly. The string to be converted are the entire arguments right behind the delimiting space of the function name. **unpercent+** also maps plus signs to a spaces. **percent** _args_ **percent+** _args_ Escape the _args_ using percent style escaping. Tabs, formfeeds, linefeeds, car‐ riage returns and colons are escaped. **percent+** also maps spaces to plus signs. **errcode** _arg_ **errsource** _arg_ **errstring** _arg_ Assume _arg_ is an integer and evaluate it using **strtol**. Return the gpg-error error code, error source or a formatted string with the error code and error source. **+** **-** ***** **/** **%** Evaluate all arguments as long integers using **strtol** and apply this operator. A division by zero yields an empty string. **!** **|** **&** Evaluate all arguments as long integers using **strtol** and apply the logical op‐ erators NOT, OR or AND. The NOT operator works on the last argument only. **/definq** _name_ _var_ Use content of the variable _var_ for inquiries with _name_. _name_ may be an asterisk (*****) to match any inquiry. **/definqfile** _name_ _file_ Use content of _file_ for inquiries with _name_. _name_ may be an asterisk (*****) to match any inquiry. **/definqprog** _name_ _prog_ Run _prog_ for inquiries matching _name_ and pass the entire line to it as command line arguments. **/datafile** _name_ Write all data lines from the server to the file _name_. The file is opened for writing and created if it does not exists. An existing file is first truncated to 0. The data written to the file fully decoded. Using a single dash for _name_ writes to std‐ out. The file is kept open until a new file is set using this command or this command is used without an argument. ### /showdef Print all definitions ### /cleardef Delete all definitions **/sendfd** _file_ _mode_ Open _file_ in _mode_ (which needs to be a valid **fopen** mode string) and send the file de‐ scriptor to the server. This is usually followed by a command like **INPUT** **FD** to set the input source for other commands. ### /recvfd Not yet implemented. **/open** _var_ _file_ [_mode_] Open _file_ and assign the file descriptor to _var_. Warning: This command is experimen‐ tal and might change in future versions. **/close** _fd_ Close the file descriptor _fd_. Warning: This command is experimental and might change in future versions. ### /showopen Show a list of open files. ### /serverpid Send the Assuan command **GETINFO** **pid** to the server and store the returned PID for in‐ ternal purposes. **/sleep** Sleep for a second. ### /hex **/nohex** Same as the command line option **--hex**. ### /decode ### /nodecode Same as the command line option **--decode**. ### /subst ### /nosubst Enable and disable variable substitution. It defaults to disabled unless the command line option **--subst** has been used. If /subst as been enabled once, leading whitespace is removed from input lines which makes scripts easier to read. **/while** _condition_ **/end** These commands provide a way for executing loops. All lines between the **while** and the corresponding **end** are executed as long as the evaluation of _condition_ yields a non- zero value or is the string **true** or **yes**. The evaluation is done by passing _condition_ to the **strtol** function. Example: /subst /let i 3 /while $i /echo loop counter is $i /let i ${- $i 1} /end **/if** _condition_ **/end** These commands provide a way for conditional execution. All lines between the **if** and the corresponding **end** are executed only if the evaluation of _condition_ yields a non- zero value or is the string **true** or **yes**. The evaluation is done by passing _condition_ to the **strtol** function. **/run** _file_ Run commands from _file_. **/bye** Terminate the connection and the program. **/help** Print a list of available control commands. ## SEE ALSO [**gpg-agent**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gpg-agent/1/markdown), [**scdaemon**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/scdaemon/1/markdown) The full documentation for this tool is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If GnuPG and the info program are properly installed at your site, the command info gnupg should give you access to the complete manual including a menu structure and an index. GnuPG 2.2.27 2020-12-21 [GPG-CONNECT-AGENT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/GPG-CONNECT-AGENT/1/markdown)