age

[-man%20page-lightgrey>)](https://filippo.io/age/age.1) age is a simple, modern and secure file encryption tool, format, and Go library. It features small explicit keys, post-quantum support, no config options, and UNIX-style composability. ```console $ age-keygen -o key.txt Public key: age1ql3z7hjy54pw3hyww5ayyfg7zqgvc7w3j2elw8zmrj2kg5sfn9aqmcac8p $ tar cvz ~/data | age -r age1ql3z7hjy54pw3hyww5ayyfg7zqgvc7w3j2elw8zmrj2kg5sfn9aqmcac8p > data.tar.gz.age $ age --decrypt -i key.txt data.tar.gz.age > data.tar.gz ``` 📜 The format specification is at [age-encryption.org/v1](https://age-encryption.org/v1). age was designed by [@benjojo](https://github.com/benjojo) and [@FiloSottile](https://github.com/FiloSottile). 🦀 An alternative interoperable Rust implementation is available at [github.com/str4d/rage](https://github.com/str4d/rage). 🌍 [Typage](https://github.com/FiloSottile/typage) is a TypeScript implementation. It works in the browser, Node.js, Deno, and Bun. 🔑 Hardware PIV tokens such as YubiKeys are supported through the [age-plugin-yubikey](https://github.com/str4d/age-plugin-yubikey) plugin. ✨ For more plugins, implementations, tools, and integrations, check out the [awesome age](https://github.com/FiloSottile/awesome-age) list. 💬 The author pronounces it `[aɡe̞]` [with a hard *g*](https://translate.google.com/?sl=it&text=aghe), like GIF, and it's always spelled lowercase. ## Installation

Homebrew (macOS or Linux)	brew install age
MacPorts	port install age
Windows	winget install --id FiloSottile.age
Alpine Linux v3.15+	apk add age
Arch Linux	pacman -S age
Debian 12+ (Bookworm)	apt install age
Debian 11 (Bullseye)	apt install age/bullseye-backports (enable backports for age v1.0.0+)
Fedora 33+	dnf install age
Gentoo Linux	emerge app-crypt/age
Guix System	guix package -i age
NixOS / Nix	nix-env -i age
openSUSE Tumbleweed	zypper install age
Ubuntu 22.04+	apt install age
Void Linux	xbps-install age
FreeBSD	pkg install age (security/age)
OpenBSD 6.7+	pkg_add age (security/age)
Chocolatey (Windows)	choco install age.portable
Scoop (Windows)	scoop bucket add extras && scoop install age

On Windows, Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD you can use the pre-built binaries. - [https://dl.filippo.io/age/latest?for=linux/amd64](https://dl.filippo.io/age/latest?for=linux/amd64) - [https://dl.filippo.io/age/v1.3.2?for=darwin/arm64](https://dl.filippo.io/age/v1.3.2?for=darwin/arm64) - ... If you download the pre-built binaries, you can check their [Sigsum proofs](./SIGSUM.md). If your system has [a supported version of Go](https://go.dev/dl/), you can build from source. ``` go install filippo.io/age/cmd/...@latest ``` Help from new packagers is very welcome. ## Usage For the full documentation, read [the age(1) man page](https://filippo.io/age/age.1). ``` … ``` ### Multiple recipients Files can be encrypted to multiple recipients by repeating `-r/--recipient`. Every recipient will be able to decrypt the file. ``` $ age -o example.jpg.age -r age1ql3z7hjy54pw3hyww5ayyfg7zqgvc7w3j2elw8zmrj2kg5sfn9aqmcac8p \ -r age1lggyhqrw2nlhcxprm67z43rta597azn8gknawjehu9d9dl0jq3yqqvfafg example.jpg ``` #### Recipient files Multiple recipients can also be listed one per line in one or more files passed with the `-R/--recipients-file` flag. ``` $ cat recipients.txt # Alice age1ql3z7hjy54pw3hyww5ayyfg7zqgvc7w3j2elw8zmrj2kg5sfn9aqmcac8p # Bob age1lggyhqrw2nlhcxprm67z43rta597azn8gknawjehu9d9dl0jq3yqqvfafg $ age -R recipients.txt example.jpg > example.jpg.age ``` If the argument to `-R` (or `-i`) is `-`, the file is read from standard input. ### Post-quantum keys To generate hybrid post-quantum keys, which are secure against future quantum computer attacks, use the `-pq` flag with `age-keygen`. This may become the default in the future. Post-quantum identities start with `AGE-SECRET-KEY-PQ-1...` and recipients with `age1pq1...`. The recipients are unfortunately ~2000 characters long. ```console $ age-keygen -pq -o key.txt $ age-keygen -y key.txt > recipient.txt $ age -R recipient.txt example.jpg > example.jpg.age $ age -d -i key.txt example.jpg.age > example.jpg ``` Support for post-quantum keys is built into age v1.3.0 and later. Alternatively, the `age-plugin-pq` binary can be installed and placed in `$PATH` to add support to any version and implementation of age that supports plugins. Recipients will work out of the box, while identities will have to be converted to plugin identities with `age-plugin-pq -identity`. ### Passphrases Files can be encrypted with a passphrase by using `-p/--passphrase`. By default age will automatically generate a secure passphrase. Passphrase protected files are automatically detected at decrypt time. ```console $ age -p secrets.txt > secrets.txt.age Enter passphrase (leave empty to autogenerate a secure one): Using the autogenerated passphrase "release-response-step-brand-wrap-ankle-pair-unusual-sword-train". $ age -d secrets.txt.age > secrets.txt Enter passphrase: ``` ### Passphrase-protected key files If an identity file passed to `-i` is a passphrase encrypted age file, it will be automatically decrypted. ```console $ age-keygen | age -p > key.age Public key: age1yhm4gctwfmrpz87tdslm550wrx6m79y9f2hdzt0lndjnehwj0ukqrjpyx5 Enter passphrase (leave empty to autogenerate a secure one): Using the autogenerated passphrase "hip-roast-boring-snake-mention-east-wasp-honey-input-actress". $ age -r age1yhm4gctwfmrpz87tdslm550wrx6m79y9f2hdzt0lndjnehwj0ukqrjpyx5 secrets.txt > secrets.txt.age $ age -d -i key.age secrets.txt.age > secrets.txt Enter passphrase for identity file "key.age": ``` Passphrase-protected identity files are not necessary for most use cases, where access to the encrypted identity file implies access to the whole system. However, they can be useful if the identity file is stored remotely. ### SSH keys As a convenience feature, age also supports encrypting to `ssh-rsa` and `ssh-ed25519` SSH public keys, and decrypting with the respective private key file. (`ssh-agent` is not supported.) ```console $ age -R ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub example.jpg > example.jpg.age $ age -d -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 example.jpg.age > example.jpg ``` Note that SSH key support employs more complex cryptography, and embeds a public key tag in the encrypted file, making it possible to track files that are encrypted to a specific public key. #### Encrypting to a GitHub user Combining SSH key support and `-R`, you can easily encrypt a file to the SSH keys listed on a GitHub profile. ```console $ curl https://github.com/benjojo.keys | age -R - example.jpg > example.jpg.age ``` Keep in mind that people might not protect SSH keys long-term, since they are revokable when used only for authentication, and that SSH keys held on YubiKeys can't be used to decrypt files. ### Inspecting encrypted files The `age-inspect` command can display metadata about an encrypted file without decrypting it, including the recipient types, whether it uses post-quantum encryption, and the payload size. ```console $ age-inspect secrets.age secrets.age is an age file, version "age-encryption.org/v1". This file is encrypted to the following recipient types: - "mlkem768x25519" This file uses post-quantum encryption. Size breakdown (assuming it decrypts successfully): Header 1627 bytes Encryption overhead 32 bytes Payload 42 bytes ------------------- Total 1701 bytes Tip: for machine-readable output, use --json. ```