Signing keys

Before you can sign a public key, you will have to import it into your public keyring in the first place. After this you should check the identity, either by personal contact or by comparing fingerprints or by trusting other people you know very well who signed the key with the care necessary.

You will use the command --sign-key to put your signature below the key. As you need to use you private key, you will be asked to type the passphrase.

Afterwards, you might want to export the signed key again and give it back to the owner. He can import this key again and your signature will then also show up in his public keyring. Whenever he exports his public again, your signature will be included and tell others, that you trust him.