Setting up your card reader on GNU/Linux (hotplug)

Please note:

This is only an introductory document, aimed at a generic hard- and software setting involving GNU/Linux. For a full-length description please see the full-length Fellowship crypto card Howto. If you run into problems specific to your GnuPG setup, you may want to read other GnuPG Howtos.

What do you need to use the card?

• A smart card reader. A list of tested readers can be found here.
• Root privileges on your GNU/linux system.
• GnuPG 1.4.2 or higher.

Setting up the card reader

First of all, you will need to download two files for hotplug and copy them to the hotplug configuration directory, in order to let it identify your card reader:

• gnupg-ccid.usermap
• gnupg-ccid

Now, open a terminal and become root (you will be asked for your root password):

$ su -

On Ubuntu systems, you should run (and then you will be asked for the user password):

$ sudo su -

Then you will have to move the files from the directory you have saved them to, to the hotplug configuration directory:

# cd /home/directory/where/you/saved/the/file (change for the right path)
# cp gnupg-ccid.usermap /etc/hotplug/usb/gnupg-ccid.usermap
# cp gnupg-ccid /etc/hotplug/usb/gnupg-ccid
# chmod +x /etc/hotplug/usb/gnupg-ccid

All the configuration files are in the right place and with the right permissions by now.

You will now create a group scard, give this group permission to access the smart card reader, and include the users who should have access to the card reader to this group.

# addgroup scard
# addgroup yourusername scard (change for the right username)
# exit (to logout the root user) 

Done! Your smart card reader should be working now.

If you want to take a look on what you have in your card, plug-in the smart card reader, insert your Fellowship crypto card, and type:

$ gpg --card-status

Back to howtos' page for next steps

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