ISSUE: gpg --gen-key fails with error "gpg: can't create `/user/.gnupg/random_seed': No such file or directory" FIX: create .gnupg directory by hand "mkdir ~/.gnupg" DETAILS: I spent some time this morning trying to generate a key unsuccesfully. The generation process got as far as creating the random seed but could not create the ~/.gnupg directory. After some fruitless searching I created the ~/.gnupg directory by hand and the process worked flawlessly. It actually seems like the random seed generator fails and then kicks off again and then ultimately dies out. <snip> We need to generate a lot of random bytes. It is a good idea to perform some other action (type on the keyboard, move the mouse, utilize the disks) during the prime generation; this gives the random number generator a better chance to gain enough entropy. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++..+++++.+++++++++++++++++++++++++.+++++.+++++++++++++++.+++++++++++++++.++++++++++++++++++++.++++++++++.++++++++++>.+++++.................................................+++++ We need to generate a lot of random bytes. It is a good idea to perform some other action (type on the keyboard, move the mouse, utilize the disks) during the prime generation; this gives the random number generator a better chance to gain enough entropy. .+++++.+++++++++++++++.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++..+++++.++++++++++++++++++++.+++++.+++++.+++++++++++++++++++++++++>+++++..>+++++.......<+++++...........>+++++.<+++++....>+++++......<+++++................................................................................+++++^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ gpg: no writable public keyring found: eof Key generation failed: eof gpg: can't create `/user/.gnupg/random_seed': No such file or directory
