Build/install instructions for GnuPG 2.2.x on Ubuntu and similar distros (formerly for 2.1.x)

GnuPG-2.2.md

GnuPG 2.2.x Build Instructions

Below are my build instructions for GnuPG 2.2.10, released on August 30th, 2018. These instructions are built for a headless Ubuntu 18.04 LTS server (and have also been tested on Ubuntu 14.04/16.04).

If you prefer, you may use the below install script to install GnuPG 2.2.x by running the following commands:

curl -OL "https://gist.githubusercontent.com/vt0r/a2f8c0bcb1400131ff51/raw/e0d2011d7b89bfe5b83c3f29f21949fb21354dd9/install-gnupg22.sh" && sudo -H bash ./install-gnupg22.sh

Install the needed dependencies

apt-get -y install libgnutls-dev bzip2 make gettext texinfo gnutls-bin build-essential libbz2-dev zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libsqlite3-dev libldap2-dev || apt-get -y install libgnutls28-dev bzip2 make gettext texinfo gnutls-bin build-essential libbz2-dev zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libsqlite3-dev libldap2-dev

Setup the build

NOTE: To clean up from the older GnuPG 2.1.x builds, you probably want to delete /var/src/gnupg21 entirely.

mkdir -p /var/src/gnupg22 && cd /var/src/gnupg22
gpg --list-keys
gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 249B39D24F25E3B6 04376F3EE0856959 2071B08A33BD3F06 8A861B1C7EFD60D9

Installing libgpg-error 1.32

wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgpg-error/libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgpg-error/libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz.sig && \
gpg --verify libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz.sig && tar -xzf libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz && \
cd libgpg-error-1.32/ && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../

Installing libgcrypt 1.8.3

wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgcrypt/libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgcrypt/libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz.sig && \
gpg --verify libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz.sig && tar -xzf libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz && \
cd libgcrypt-1.8.3 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../

Installing libassuan 2.5.1

wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libassuan/libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libassuan/libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2.sig && \
gpg --verify libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2 && \
cd libassuan-2.5.1 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../

Installing libksba 1.3.5

wget -c  https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libksba/libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libksba/libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2.sig && \
gpg --verify libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2 && \
cd libksba-1.3.5 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../

Installing npth 1.6

wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/npth/npth-1.6.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/npth/npth-1.6.tar.bz2.sig && \
gpg --verify npth-1.6.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf npth-1.6.tar.bz2 && \
cd npth-1.6 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../

Install pinentry 1.1.0

wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/pinentry/pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/pinentry/pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2.sig && \
gpg --verify pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2 && \
cd pinentry-1.1.0 && ./configure --enable-pinentry-curses --disable-pinentry-qt4 && \
make && make install && cd ../

Install GnuPG 2.2.10

wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2.sig && \
gpg --verify gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2 && \
cd gnupg-2.2.10 && ./configure && make && make install

Finishing the build

echo "/usr/local/lib" > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/gpg2.conf && ldconfig -v

install-gnupg22.sh

#!/bin/bash
# ---------
# Script to build and install GnuPG 2.2.x

apt-get update
apt-get -y install libgnutls-dev bzip2 make gettext texinfo gnutls-bin libgnutls28-dev build-essential libbz2-dev zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libsqlite3-dev libldap2-dev || apt-get -y install libgnutls28-dev bzip2 make gettext texinfo gnutls-bin build-essential libbz2-dev zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libsqlite3-dev libldap2-dev
mkdir -p /var/src/gnupg22 && cd /var/src/gnupg22
gpg --list-keys
gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 249B39D24F25E3B6 04376F3EE0856959 2071B08A33BD3F06 8A861B1C7EFD60D9

wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgpg-error/libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgpg-error/libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgcrypt/libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgcrypt/libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libassuan/libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libassuan/libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libksba/libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libksba/libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/npth/npth-1.6.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/npth/npth-1.6.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/pinentry/pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/pinentry/pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2.sig && \
gpg --verify libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz.sig && tar -xzf libgpg-error-1.32.tar.gz && \
gpg --verify libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz.sig && tar -xzf libgcrypt-1.8.3.tar.gz && \
gpg --verify libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf libassuan-2.5.1.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf libksba-1.3.5.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify npth-1.6.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf npth-1.6.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf pinentry-1.1.0.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf gnupg-2.2.10.tar.bz2 && \
cd libgpg-error-1.32/ && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../ && \
cd libgcrypt-1.8.3 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../ && \
cd libassuan-2.5.1 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../ && \
cd libksba-1.3.5 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../ && \
cd npth-1.6 && ./configure && make && make install && cd ../ && \
cd pinentry-1.1.0 && ./configure --enable-pinentry-curses --disable-pinentry-qt4 && \
make && make install && cd ../ && \
cd gnupg-2.2.10 && ./configure && make && make install && \
echo "/usr/local/lib" > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/gpg2.conf && ldconfig -v && \
echo "Complete!!!"

@bachmanity1 - oh, 2.2.9 is really old.

Here is my most recent script, which includes grabbing a current version of Scute directly from git.

#!/bin/bash
# ---------
# Script to download sources, build and install GnuPG 2.x.x

# Set version of new gpg
GNUPG_VER=2.4.0

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -y install libgnutls-dev bzip2 make gettext texinfo gnutls-bin libgnutls28-dev build-essential libbz2-dev \
zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libsqlite3-dev libldap2-dev || apt-get -y install libgnutls28-dev bzip2 make gettext texinfo \
gnutls-bin build-essential libbz2-dev zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libsqlite3-dev libldap2-dev
mkdir -p /var/src/gnupg-$GNUPG_VER && cd /var/src/gnupg-$GNUPG_VER
gpg --list-keys
gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 249B39D24F25E3B6 04376F3EE0856959 2071B08A33BD3F06
gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 8A861B1C7EFD60D9 5B80C5754298F0CB55D8ED6ABCEF7E294B092E28
gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 6DAA6E64A76D2840571B4902528897B826403ADA
gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys AC8E115BF73E2D8D47FA9908E98E9B2D19C6C8BD
gpg --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys 02F38DFF731FF97CB039A1DA549E695E905BA208

# Set versions of current helper tools necessary for gpg
LIBGPG_ERROR_VER=1.46
LIBGCRYPT_VER=1.10.1
LIBKSBA_VER=1.6.3
LIBASSUAN_VER=2.5.5
NTBTLS_VER=0.3.1
NPTH_VER=1.6
PINENTRY_VER=1.2.1
GPGME_VER=1.18.0
SCUTE_VER=1.7.0

# Download source code for each tool.
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgpg-error/libgpg-error-$LIBGPG_ERROR_VER.tar.gz && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgpg-error/libgpg-error-$LIBGPG_ERROR_VER.tar.gz.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgcrypt/libgcrypt-$LIBGCRYPT_VER.tar.gz && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libgcrypt/libgcrypt-$LIBGCRYPT_VER.tar.gz.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libassuan/libassuan-$LIBASSUAN_VER.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libassuan/libassuan-$LIBASSUAN_VER.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libksba/libksba-$LIBKSBA_VER.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/libksba/libksba-$LIBKSBA_VER.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/npth/npth-$NPTH_VER.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/npth/npth-$NPTH_VER.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/ntbtls/ntbtls-$NTBTLS_VER.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/ntbtls/ntbtls-$NTBTLS_VER.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/pinentry/pinentry-$PINENTRY_VER.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/pinentry/pinentry-$PINENTRY_VER.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gpgme/gpgme-$GPGME_VER.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gpgme/gpgme-$GPGME_VER.tar.bz2.sig && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-$GNUPG_VER.tar.bz2 && \
wget -c https://www.gnupg.org/ftp/gcrypt/gnupg/gnupg-$GNUPG_VER.tar.bz2.sig && \
# Getting Scute from git, since the old 1.7.0 release has a bug which fails if certain tools aren't installed.
git clone git://git.gnupg.org/scute.git
mv scute scute-$SCUTE_VER

# Verify everything but Scute
gpg --verify libgpg-error-$LIBGPG_ERROR_VER.tar.gz.sig && tar -xzf libgpg-error-$LIBGPG_ERROR_VER.tar.gz && \
gpg --verify libgcrypt-$LIBGCRYPT_VER.tar.gz.sig && tar -xzf libgcrypt-$LIBGCRYPT_VER.tar.gz && \
gpg --verify libassuan-$LIBASSUAN_VER.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf libassuan-$LIBASSUAN_VER.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify libksba-$LIBKSBA_VER.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf libksba-$LIBKSBA_VER.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify npth-$NPTH_VER.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf npth-$NPTH_VER.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify ntbtls-$NTBTLS_VER.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf ntbtls-$NTBTLS_VER.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify pinentry-$PINENTRY_VER.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf pinentry-$PINENTRY_VER.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify gpgme-$GPGME_VER.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf gpgme-$GPGME_VER.tar.bz2 && \
gpg --verify gnupg-$GNUPG_VER.tar.bz2.sig && tar -xjf gnupg-$GNUPG_VER.tar.bz2 && \

# Compiling and installing
cd libgpg-error-$LIBGPG_ERROR_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd libgcrypt-$LIBGCRYPT_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd libassuan-$LIBASSUAN_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd libksba-$LIBKSBA_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd npth-$NPTH_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd ntbtls-$NTBTLS_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \

# Had to disable pinentry-efl as it expects openssl 1.1 which has been replaced by openssl 3.
cd pinentry-$PINENTRY_VER && ./configure --enable-pinentry-curses --disable-pinentry-qt4 --disable-pinentry-efl && \
make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd gpgme-$GPGME_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd scute-$SCUTE_VER && ./autogen.sh && ./configure --enable-maintainer-mode && make && sudo make install && cd ../ && \
cd gnupg-$GNUPG_VER && ./configure && make && sudo make install && \

sudo echo "/usr/local/lib" > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/gpg2.conf && sudo ldconfig -v && \
echo "Complete!!!"

Afterwards I also check for running gpg daemons and kill them before trying a gpg command.

ps aux | grep gpg
killall gpg-agent

If you get a a warning about gpg-agent being "older than", then you may have gpg installed from your distro's repo too, and not only a compiled version. A reboot will probably fix that, or uninstall the system version.

Works great for 2.4.x ! Thanks