GnuPG can't find /usr/bin/dirmngr

I was able to fix with the following commands:

1. sudo apt remove gnupg
2. sudo apt install --reinstall gnupg2 (possibly not necessary, but doesn't hurt)
3. sudo apt install dirmngr

If both gnupgs, 1 & 2, are on the system, it should default to the binary for 2. If gnupg 1 is all there is, there should be a warning/error. Also, dirmngr should be a dependency (along with gnupg2).

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Not sure if it is intended that enigmail shows a fail and a success, maybe this is just a separate issue. But the gnupg error because /usr/bin/dirmngr is missing also appears for example on using apt-key.

dirmngr is now an optional component.

most uses of apt-key do not require dirmngr.

if you want dirmngr (ie. fetching keys from remote key servers) please install dirmngr package.

By default it is a recommends and should be pulled in on most installations.

Maybe enigmail package should add dirmngr as dependency, if it is expected functionaly for those users.

Or e.g. enigmail should use packagekit to request installation of dirmngr or some such.

This is related to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/1634464 as well, where the maintainer says the "apt-key adv" is deprecated ("like everything else"). Not easy to understand what's deprecated.

By the way, "gpg --keyserver YYY --recv-key XXX" works 100% in Ubuntu Xenial, with no deprecation or warning whatsoever. It should not break in such unexpected way on Yakkety. It seems a gnupg->gnupg2 migration issue to me; I think that at least for Yakkety dirmngr should be included as a required dependency from gnupg2, a warning on the deprecation of such feature could be issues, then the dirmngr package could be switched to an optional dep LATER.

Even though IMHO such behaviour is still bad. If I do "gpg --help" in ubuntu yakkety, I clearly see the "--recv-keys" option. Then it breaks when using it if dirmngr is not installed. I would not list such option and let the user employ a different command altogether for fetching remote keys, instead: that would be WAY easier.

By the way, PLEASE consider that

"apt-key adv --keyserver ..."

is a VERY widely used and recommended command for installing keys. And some keyservers may not even expose a decent way of fetching public keys without the HKP protocol, making gpg --keyserver "the right choice".

"apt-key adv --recv-key" may be common advice but after the introduction of /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ it is also bad advice.

We should definitely edit the apt-key(8) manpage to include the right commands to use to populate /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ instead of adv --recv-key.

Thanks

I was able to fix it on debian stretch by installing dirmngr

# apt install dirmngr

yes THANK YOU aenesunal the fuller explanation is here
https://blog.sleeplessbeastie.eu/2017/11/02/how-to-fix-missing-dirmngr/
and a shorter version here:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/410981

SERIOUSLY seth-arnold - YOU win the WORST ANSWER to a question on launchpad award. That answer honestly could have been kept to yourself and saved all of us the time to read. I created an acct and completed a capture just to thank a decent reply and try to help those looking for solid geek solutions over techno geek games.