This page contains information on the current and past archive signing keys. The release files are signed by an automatic archive signing key in order to allow verification that software being downloaded has not been interfered with.
Please note that as this page is not available by a secure mechanism (for instance https), you cannot rely on keys or information available here for verification purposes. The details here are for information only.
Which release should be signed with which key?
Stable releases are signed by both the ftp-master automatic archive signing key in use at the time of the release, and a per-release stable key. Release files for other releases (proposed-updates, testing, testing-proposed-updates, unstable and experimental) are signed only by the ftp-master automatic key.
The security archive is signed by the normal ftp-master key only.
The current procedure is that there is one ftp-master key per release (former procedure introduced a new key once per year).
Archive Keys
Active Signing Keys
The current (2007/etch) key can be downloaded here
Upcoming Signing Keys
The new key, which will be used after the 4.0 key expires or after Lenny r1 is released, can be downloaded here. (The debian-devel announcement regarding this key can be read at http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2009/01/msg00008.html)
Stable Keys
etch
Details of the etch key from the release team
lenny
Details of the lenny key from the release team
Retired Signing Keys
The following retired and in most cases expired keys are available. Note that these keys are no longer in use and are listed here for reference purposes only:
Key Replacement Procedure
When the archive key is to be replaced, a new key will be generated by one of the ftpmasters. This key will then be signed by that ftpmaster and other ftpmasters and members of the ftpteam (including verification by phone call of the fingerprint and other details of the key to be signed).
Once the new key is prepared, it will be placed on this page, put into the relevant archive packages and announced to debian-devel-announce well in advance of being used.
Key Revokation Procedure
A revokation certificate for the archive key is produced at the time of the creation of an archive key. The program ssss (a Shamir's secret sharing scheme implementation) is then used to produce 20 shares of which 10 are needed to recover the revokation cert. This procedure is for use in emergencies only (such as losing ftp-master.debian.org and all of the backups, a hopefully unlikely event) as the key can normally be used to produce its own revokation certificate.