cypherpunk-cheats/age.cheat

% age, encryption, modern-crypto

# ============================================================================
# AGE - Modern File Encryption (Simpler Alternative to GPG)
# ============================================================================

# Install age
sudo apt install age

# Generate age key pair
age-keygen > key.txt

# Generate key pair with output to specific file
age-keygen -o ~/.config/age/key.txt

# View public key from private key file
grep 'public key:' key.txt

# ============================================================================
# FILE ENCRYPTION
# ============================================================================

# Encrypt file with recipient's public key
age --encrypt --recipient <public_key> --output <output_file> <input_file>
$ public_key: echo "age1abcdef1234567890..."
$ output_file: echo "secret.age"
$ input_file: echo "document.txt"

# Short form
age -e -r <public_key> -o <output> <input>

# Encrypt for multiple recipients
age -e -r <recipient1> -r <recipient2> -o encrypted.age plaintext.txt
$ recipient1: echo "age1abc..."
$ recipient2: echo "age1xyz..."

# Encrypt with passphrase (symmetric)
age --passphrase --output secret.age document.txt

# Short form
age -p -o secret.age document.txt

# ============================================================================
# FILE DECRYPTION
# ============================================================================

# Decrypt with private key
age --decrypt --identity <key_file> --output <output> <encrypted_file>
$ key_file: echo -e "~/.config/age/key.txt\nkey.txt"
$ output: echo "decrypted.txt"
$ encrypted_file: echo "secret.age"

# Short form
age -d -i <key_file> -o <output> <encrypted>

# Decrypt passphrase-encrypted file
age --decrypt --output decrypted.txt encrypted.age
# (will prompt for passphrase)

# Decrypt to stdout
age -d -i key.txt encrypted.age

# ============================================================================
# SSH KEY INTEGRATION
# ============================================================================

# Encrypt using SSH public key
age -e -R ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub -o secret.age document.txt

# Decrypt using SSH private key
age -d -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -o document.txt secret.age

# Convert SSH key to age format
ssh-keygen -l -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | age-keygen -y

# ============================================================================
# PIPING & STDIN/STDOUT
# ============================================================================

# Encrypt from stdin
echo "secret message" | age -e -r <public_key> > message.age

# Decrypt to stdout
age -d -i key.txt message.age

# Encrypt directory (tar + age)
tar czf - ~/Documents | age -e -r <public_key> > backup.tar.gz.age

# Decrypt directory
age -d -i key.txt backup.tar.gz.age | tar xzf -

# ============================================================================
# GITHUB PUBLIC KEY ENCRYPTION
# ============================================================================

# Encrypt file for GitHub user
age -e -R https://github.com/<username>.keys -o secret.age file.txt
$ username: echo "github_username"

# Example
age -e -R https://github.com/torvalds.keys -o message.age message.txt

# ============================================================================
# ADVANCED USAGE
# ============================================================================

# Encrypt with multiple identity files
age -e -i key1.txt -i key2.txt -o encrypted.age plaintext.txt

# Use armor format (ASCII, like GPG --armor)
age --armor -e -r <public_key> plaintext.txt > encrypted.asc

# Encrypt file in-place (replace original)
age -e -r <public_key> -o temp.age file.txt && mv temp.age file.txt.age && rm file.txt

# Batch encrypt multiple files
for file in *.txt; do age -e -r <public_key> -o "$file.age" "$file"; done

# ============================================================================
# KEY MANAGEMENT
# ============================================================================

# Store keys securely
mkdir -p ~/.config/age
chmod 700 ~/.config/age
age-keygen -o ~/.config/age/key.txt
chmod 600 ~/.config/age/key.txt

# Multiple identity files
age-keygen -o ~/.config/age/personal.txt
age-keygen -o ~/.config/age/work.txt

# Extract public key from private key
grep 'public key:' ~/.config/age/key.txt | awk '{print $NF}'

# ============================================================================
# COMPARISON: AGE vs GPG
# ============================================================================

# AGE advantages:
# - Simpler syntax
# - Smaller attack surface
# - Modern cryptography (ChaCha20-Poly1305, X25519)
# - No keyservers or web of trust complexity
# - SSH key integration
# - Smaller binaries

# GPG advantages:
# - Mature ecosystem
# - Email client integration
# - Web of trust / key signing
# - Hardware token support (YubiKey)
# - Detached signatures

# ============================================================================
# BEST PRACTICES
# ============================================================================

# Always backup private keys
cp ~/.config/age/key.txt /secure/backup/location/

# Use SSH keys when possible (one less key to manage)
age -e -R ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub file.txt

# For long-term storage, use multiple recipients
age -e -r <key1> -r <key2> -r <key3> -o encrypted.age important.txt

# Use passphrase encryption for one-off files
age -p -o temporary_secret.age temp_file.txt

# Combine with tar for directory encryption
tar czf - ~/sensitive_dir | age -e -r <public_key> > backup.tar.gz.age

# ============================================================================
# INTEGRATION WITH OTHER TOOLS
# ============================================================================

# age with sops (Secrets OPerationS)
# Encrypt configuration files with age keys
sops --age <public_key> secrets.yaml

# age with Ansible Vault alternative
# Use age instead of ansible-vault

# age with password managers
# Encrypt password database exports
age -p -o passwords_backup.age passwords.csv

# ============================================================================
# TROUBLESHOOTING
# ============================================================================

# "No key for recipient" error
# Make sure you're using the PUBLIC key for -r flag
# And PRIVATE key (identity) for -i flag

# Passphrase not working
# age stores scrypt parameters with file
# Must use exact same passphrase

# Check age version
age --version