Thanks for the inputs so far. On Axels input I modified the script: #!/bin/sh gpg keys.gpg > /dev/null emacs keys rm keys.gpg gpg -r "user-ID" -e keys srm keys # *secure*rm keys srm keys~# *secure*rm keys~ Drawback: During the time one works on the list `keys' it is readable at `/path/to/keys'. Is there a way to pipe the output of `gpg keys.gpg' directly to emacs somehow like `gpg keys.gpg | emacs'? Cheers Sam