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[Example Usage • Option Summary]

The decipher command-line utility converts ciphertext to plaintext.

We list a few examples of the decipher command here to illustrate its usefulness and ease of use. To get started, lets decypt a text file:

  decipher README.cip README.txt

Here Alice wands to decipher a secret message from Bob. Alice knows Bob's secret passphrase and has a copy of his private keyring. To restore the original message content, Alice uses this command:

  decipher -keyring ./keyring.xdm secret-message.cip message.txt

To ensure your ciphertext is not easily revealed, the decipher program takes these precautions:

Passphrase

If your command line does not include the -passphrase filename option, the passphrase is interactively requested and has a maximum length of 4096 characters and symbols. The phrase can be virtually unlimited if obtained from a file. Try to make your passphrases long and unpredictable.

Keyring

Your secret key is stored in a private keyring. If you lose your keyring, it is impossible to restore your original message content.

Entropy

If the decipher program appears to halt it may be waiting for your system to generate entropy. Move your mouse or press keystrokes in another window. Once enough entropy is generated, the decipher program will complete.

Exceptions

If simple mistakes are made, an exception message is displayed. For example if you use '-cpher' instead of '-cipher', decipher complains. However, if anything goes wrong inside the decipher engine, the program exits with a simple status code. This precaution is to prevent information leaks about the decipher process.

The decipher command recognizes these options. Click on an option to get more details about how that option works.