kestrel(1)

📦 version 1.0.3, in nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable

okay bestie, welcome to kestrel(1) from the Kestrel Manual 💖 this is your file-encryption bestie era, and yes, we’re gonna make it make sense.

✨ NAME ✨

kestrel — File Encryption Utility. literally what it says on the tin, and it’s giving secure 💅

📜 SYNOPSIS 📜

kestrel encrypt [FILE] -t NAME -f NAME [-o FILE] [-k KEYRING]

kestrel decrypt [FILE] -t NAME [-o FILE] [-k KEYRING]

kestrel key generate [-o FILE]

kestrel key change-pass PRIVATE-KEY

kestrel key extract-pub PRIVATE-KEY

kestrel password encrypt|decrypt [FILE] [-o FILE]

💬 DESCRIPTION 💬

Kestrel is a file encryption utility that lets you encrypt files to anyone with a public key. yes, anyone — public-key bestie behavior 🔥

start by generating your key pair using:

kestrel key generate

that’s the first main-character move, no cap 👑

🗝️ KEYRING FORMAT 🗝️

the keyring is a simple text file listing public and private keys. keys can appear in any order, and each name and key must be unique — no duplicates, bestie 🫶

Example:

[Key]
Name = alice
PublicKey = BASE64-PUBLIC-KEY
PrivateKey = BASE64-PRIVATE-KEY

[Key]
Name = bob
# Simple Comment
PublicKey = BASE64-PUBLIC-KEY

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -t, --to — Recipient key name. Decrypt requires a private key. 🔐
  • -f, --from — Sender key name. Must be a private key. 🔑
  • -o, --output — Output file name. 🗂️
  • -k, --keyring — Location of a keyring file. 📍
  • -h, --help — Print help information. 🆘
  • -v, --version — Print version information. 🏷️
  • --env-pass — Read password from the KESTREL_PASSWORD environment variable. 🙈

for real though: the change-pass command requires setting both KESTREL_PASSWORD and KESTREL_NEW_PASSWORD if --env-pass is used. both. not one. periodt 💀

👑 AUTHOR 👑

made by the icon Kyle Schreiber <kyle@80x24.net> 🌟

that’s the kestrel(1) page from the Kestrel Manual, bestie — go encrypt something cute and stay hydrated 💖🦋✨

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