Compile GnuPG 2.3.4 on FreeBSD
==============================

FreeBSD 14 comes with GnuPG 2.4.3, which results in problems when
using Emacs with GnuPG. These problems concern both the encryption of
files as the encryption of email messages. Decrypting isn't a
problem.

This is a known problem, and the general advise is to install an older
version of GnuPG.

To use Emacs with GnuPG I removed the GnuPG package and related
packages, compiled GnuPG 2.3.4 from source, and installed it using
GNU Stow.

GNU Stow
--------
GNU Stow helps to manage the installation and removal of self compiled
software. Install GNU Stow using the FreeBSD package manager.

   pkg install stow

Stow works also great for the management of the dotfiles in your home
directory.

Dependencies
------------
GnuPG requires the installation of several dependencies before
it can be compiled and installed.

To prevent guessing which versions to install, I took the version
numbers as installed on a FreeBSD 13.1 jail and downloaded the
following tar-balls:

    libassuan-2.5.5.tar.bz2
    libgcrypt-1.9.4.tar.bz2
    libgpg-error-1.45.tar.bz2
    libksba-1.6.0.tar.bz2
    pinentry-1.2.1.tar.bz2
  
Prepare Stow directory tree
---------------------------
Create for each tar-ball a corresponding directory under
`/usr/local/stow':

    /usr/local/stow
    |-- gnupg
    |-- libassuan
    |-- libgcrypt
    |-- libgpg-error
    |-- libksba
    `-- pinentry

Compiling
---------
All the dependencies are compiled in the usual way:

   ./configure, make and make install.

When configuring, use the Stow sub-directories as prefix.

For example, compiling libgpg-error:

    ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/stow/libgpg-error
    make
    make install # as root

After make install, the skeleton of the directory
`/usr/local/stow/libgpg-error' looks like this:

    /usr/local/stow/libgpg-error
    |-- bin
    |-- include
    |-- lib
    |   `-- pkgconfig
    `-- share
        |-- aclocal
        |-- common-lisp
        |-- info
        |-- libgpg-error
        `-- man

This view shows only the upper directories. The tree can go deeper,
and is populated with all the files.
 
Install using Stow
------------------
As root, go to `/usr/local/stow' and run stow <sub-directory> for each
application.

Because the installation of info-files throws errors, use the flag
`--ignore=dir'.

For example:

    stow --ignore=dir libgpg-error

This creates symlinks, e.g., from
`/usr/local/stow/libgpg-error/bin/gpg-error' to
`/usr/local/bin/gpg-error', and so on.

To reverse this, issue stow with the flag `-D', for example:

    stow -D --ignore=dir libgpg-error

This removes all the symlinks.

Use this to install and uninstall your self compiled software.

Install the software on similar systems by just transferring the stow
subdirectory and run the stow command there.

Pinentry
--------
The configuration of pinentry shows two options for Emacs. To be sure,
I added them both:
 
    ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/stow/pinentry --enable-pinentry-emacs --enable-inside-emacs

Order
-----
Start with the compilation and installation of `libgpg-error',
including the last step with stow.
    
GnuPG
-----
To compile GnuPG, the location of iconv must be added to the
configuration:

    ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/stow/gnupg --with-libiconv-prefix=/usr/local

Encryption
----------
After building the dependencies and GnuPG, Emacs encrypts both files
and emails :)

Make encryption great again!


Last edited: $Date: 2024/01/05 13:46:47 $