Everything you need to know about keys

The package manager from Arch Linux aka pacman works with signed packages. To sign a package you need key. To be able to install a package you need a key.

There is the “archlinux-keyring” package that will need an update from time to time and there is the “arcolinux-keyring“.

sudo pacman -Sy archlinux-keyring

Depending on your situation you often have to FIRST install the archlinux-keyring BEFORE you can update.

If the erik.dubois key is forgotten, deleted, obliterated or anything else we type one of the following aliases in a terminal.

alias keyfix="/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-databases-and-keys"
alias key-fix="/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-databases-and-keys"
alias keys-fix="/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-databases-and-keys"
alias fixkey="/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-databases-and-keys"
alias fixkeys="/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-databases-and-keys"
alias fix-key="/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-databases-and-keys"
alias fix-keys="/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-databases-and-keys"

You can find all these aliases in the bashrc or zshrc of fish config.

They all point to one file with this content (09/2022).

echo “###############################################################################”
echo “Removing the pacman databases at /var/lib/pacman/sync/*”
echo “###############################################################################”
echo
sudo rm /var/lib/pacman/sync/*
echo

echo “###############################################################################”
echo “Removing /etc/pacman.d/gnupg folder”
echo “###############################################################################”
echo
sudo rm -rf /etc/pacman.d/gnupg/*
echo

echo “###############################################################################”
echo “Initialize pacman keys with pacman-key –init”
echo “###############################################################################”
echo
sudo pacman-key –init
echo

echo “###############################################################################”
echo “Populating keyring with pacman-key –populate”
echo “###############################################################################”
echo
sudo pacman-key –populate
echo

echo “###############################################################################”
echo “Getting new databasesw with pacman -Sy”
echo “###############################################################################”
echo
sudo pacman -Sy
echo

echo “###############################################################################”
echo “### DONE – YOU CAN CLOSE THIS WINDOW ####”
echo “###############################################################################”

After running these commands you will be able to download and update again.

You will have fixed any and all keys like the chaotics and endeavouros keys as well.

In case everything turns south you always have the ArchLinux Tweak Tool or ATT to install the ArchLinux keyring or fix the keys.

The ATT to the rescue

If you do not have the script to fix the keys then type the commands yourself in a terminal.

#keyserver hkp://keys.openpgp.org
#keyserver hkp://keys.openpgp.org:80
#keyserver hkps://keys.openpgp.org
#keyserver hkps://keys.openpgp.org:443
#keyserver hkps://keyserver.ubuntu.com:443
keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80
#keyserver hkp://pool.sks-keyservers.net:80
#keyserver hkps://hkps.pool.sks-keyservers.net:443
#keyserver hkp://ipv4.pool.sks-keyservers.net:11371

Check out these two aliases to help with keys.

fix-keyserver

alias fix-keyserver='[ -d ~/.gnupg ] || mkdir ~/.gnupg ; cp /etc/pacman.d/gnupg/gpg.conf ~/.gnupg/ ; echo '\''done'\'''

fix-pacman-keyserver

alias fix-pacman-keyserver='/usr/local/bin/arcolinux-fix-pacman-gpg-conf'