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<h1 id="verify-key" class="step">Verify the Tails signing key</h1>

<p>If you already certified the Tails signing key with your own key, you
can skip this step and start [[downloading and verifying the USB
image|expert#download]].</p>

In this step, you will download and verify the *Tails signing key* which is the OpenPGP key that is used to cryptographically sign the Tails USB image.

<p>To follow these instructions you need to have your own OpenPGP
key.</p>

<p>To learn how to create yourself an OpenPGP key, see
<a href="https://riseup.net/en/security/message-security/openpgp/gpg-keys">Managing
OpenPGP Keys</a> by <em>Riseup</em>.</p>

This verification technique uses the OpenPGP Web of Trust and the certification made by official Debian developers on the Tails signing key.

Import the Tails signing key in your <span class="application">GnuPG</span> keyring:

<p class="command">wget https://tails.net/tails-signing.key</p>

<p class="command">gpg --import < tails-signing.key</p>

Install the Debian keyring. It contains the OpenPGP keys of all Debian developers:

<p class="command">sudo apt update && sudo apt install debian-keyring</p>

Import the OpenPGP key of [[!wikipedia Chris_Lamb_(software_developer) desc="Chris Lamb"]], a former Debian Project Leader, from the Debian keyring into your keyring:

<p class="command">gpg --keyring=/usr/share/keyrings/debian-keyring.gpg --export chris@chris-lamb.co.uk | gpg --import</p>

Verify the certifications made on the Tails signing key:

<p class="command">gpg --keyid-format 0xlong --check-sigs A490D0F4D311A4153E2BB7CADBB802B258ACD84F</p>

In the output of this command, look for the following line:

Here, `sig!2` means that Chris
Lamb verified and certified the Tails signing key with his key and a level 2 check.

It is also possible to verify the certifications made by other
people. Their name and email address appear in the list of
certification if you have their key in your keyring.