gpg-agent preventing continuation of Powershell script

Gpg4win help-en
1

Hi All,

I have an issue using gpg to encrypt files via a Powershell script.

The script contains the path to gpg in the following variable:
$processName = “C:\Program Files (x86)\GnuPG\bin\gpg.exe”

It contains the parameters passed to gpg in the following variable:
$processArgs = “–batch --debug-all -vv --log-file $gpgLogFile --homedir $gpgHomeDir --cipher-algo AES256 --pinentry-mode loopback --passphrase-file $gpgPassphraseFile --symmetric "$filename”"

Then executes gpg using the command (start-process is used to catch failed encryptions):
$encryptionProcess = (start-process $processName $processArgs -Wait -NoNewWindow)

The script executes, during which gpg-agent is invoked by gpg, and creates an encrypted *.gpg file (tested by decrypting it elsewhere). The script does not progress beyond this point due to gpg-agent still running. If I end the gpg-agent process, the script continues.

Does anyone know if I am missing something here, in how I am executing gpg, that is not closing gpg-agent after completion?

Thank you,

G

2

Hi G,

the default of gpg-agent is to start and keep running until stopped
(because it is technically a “daemon” processe).

My guess is that the powershell script continues because it somehow tracks
traces of the gpg-agent daemon process (either because it is a supprocess or it keeps some input output connections). Maybe using “start-job” or “start-process” from Powershell helps (I haven’t tested it, this is just me guessing from the powershell documentation.)

A workaround could be to start gpg-agent in a different process earlier, so this one is
not the one starting it.

Another one could be to stop the gpg-agent explictely, e.g. by using gpgcon --kill gpg-agent or so.

(All solutions untested - just ideas.)

Best,
Bernhard