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+Git signature format
+====================
+
+== Overview
+
+Git uses cryptographic signatures in various places, currently objects (tags,
+commits, mergetags) and transactions (pushes). In every case, the command which
+is about to create an object or transaction determines a payload from that,
+calls gpg to obtain a detached signature for the payload (`gpg -bsa`) and
+embeds the signature into the object or transaction.
+
+Signatures always begin with `-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----`
+and end with `-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----`, unless gpg is told to
+produce RFC1991 signatures which use `MESSAGE` instead of `SIGNATURE`.
+
+The signed payload and the way the signature is embedded depends
+on the type of the object resp. transaction.
+
+== Tag signatures
+
+- created by: `git tag -s`
+- payload: annotated tag object
+- embedding: append the signature to the unsigned tag object
+- example: tag `signedtag` with subject `signed tag`
+
+----
+object 04b871796dc0420f8e7561a895b52484b701d51a
+type commit
+tag signedtag
+tagger C O Mitter <committer@example.com> 1465981006 +0000
+
+signed tag
+
+signed tag message body
+-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
+Version: GnuPG v1
+
+iQEcBAABAgAGBQJXYRhOAAoJEGEJLoW3InGJklkIAIcnhL7RwEb/+QeX9enkXhxn
+rxfdqrvWd1K80sl2TOt8Bg/NYwrUBw/RWJ+sg/hhHp4WtvE1HDGHlkEz3y11Lkuh
+8tSxS3qKTxXUGozyPGuE90sJfExhZlW4knIQ1wt/yWqM+33E9pN4hzPqLwyrdods
+q8FWEqPPUbSJXoMbRPw04S5jrLtZSsUWbRYjmJCHzlhSfFWW4eFd37uquIaLUBS0
+rkC3Jrx7420jkIpgFcTI2s60uhSQLzgcCwdA2ukSYIRnjg/zDkj8+3h/GaROJ72x
+lZyI6HWixKJkWw8lE9aAOD9TmTW9sFJwcVAzmAuFX2kUreDUKMZduGcoRYGpD7E=
+=jpXa
+-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
+----
+
+- verify with: `git verify-tag [-v]` or `git tag -v`
+
+----
+gpg: Signature made Wed Jun 15 10:56:46 2016 CEST using RSA key ID B7227189
+gpg: Good signature from "Eris Discordia <discord@example.net>"
+gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
+gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
+Primary key fingerprint: D4BE 2231 1AD3 131E 5EDA  29A4 6109 2E85 B722 7189
+object 04b871796dc0420f8e7561a895b52484b701d51a
+type commit
+tag signedtag
+tagger C O Mitter <committer@example.com> 1465981006 +0000
+
+signed tag
+
+signed tag message body
+----
+
+== Commit signatures
+
+- created by: `git commit -S`
+- payload: commit object
+- embedding: header entry `gpgsig`
+  (content is preceded by a space)
+- example: commit with subject `signed commit`
+
+----
+tree eebfed94e75e7760540d1485c740902590a00332
+parent 04b871796dc0420f8e7561a895b52484b701d51a
+author A U Thor <author@example.com> 1465981137 +0000
+committer C O Mitter <committer@example.com> 1465981137 +0000
+gpgsig -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
+ Version: GnuPG v1
+
+ iQEcBAABAgAGBQJXYRjRAAoJEGEJLoW3InGJ3IwIAIY4SA6GxY3BjL60YyvsJPh/
+ HRCJwH+w7wt3Yc/9/bW2F+gF72kdHOOs2jfv+OZhq0q4OAN6fvVSczISY/82LpS7
+ DVdMQj2/YcHDT4xrDNBnXnviDO9G7am/9OE77kEbXrp7QPxvhjkicHNwy2rEflAA
+ zn075rtEERDHr8nRYiDh8eVrefSO7D+bdQ7gv+7GsYMsd2auJWi1dHOSfTr9HIF4
+ HJhWXT9d2f8W+diRYXGh4X0wYiGg6na/soXc+vdtDYBzIxanRqjg8jCAeo1eOTk1
+ EdTwhcTZlI0x5pvJ3H0+4hA2jtldVtmPM4OTB0cTrEWBad7XV6YgiyuII73Ve3I=
+ =jKHM
+ -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
+
+signed commit
+
+signed commit message body
+----
+
+- verify with: `git verify-commit [-v]` (or `git show --show-signature`)
+
+----
+gpg: Signature made Wed Jun 15 10:58:57 2016 CEST using RSA key ID B7227189
+gpg: Good signature from "Eris Discordia <discord@example.net>"
+gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
+gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
+Primary key fingerprint: D4BE 2231 1AD3 131E 5EDA  29A4 6109 2E85 B722 7189
+tree eebfed94e75e7760540d1485c740902590a00332
+parent 04b871796dc0420f8e7561a895b52484b701d51a
+author A U Thor <author@example.com> 1465981137 +0000
+committer C O Mitter <committer@example.com> 1465981137 +0000
+
+signed commit
+
+signed commit message body
+----
+
+== Mergetag signatures
+
+- created by: `git merge` on signed tag
+- payload/embedding: the whole signed tag object is embedded into
+  the (merge) commit object as header entry `mergetag`
+- example: merge of the signed tag `signedtag` as above
+
+----
+tree c7b1cff039a93f3600a1d18b82d26688668c7dea
+parent c33429be94b5f2d3ee9b0adad223f877f174b05d
+parent 04b871796dc0420f8e7561a895b52484b701d51a
+author A U Thor <author@example.com> 1465982009 +0000
+committer C O Mitter <committer@example.com> 1465982009 +0000
+mergetag object 04b871796dc0420f8e7561a895b52484b701d51a
+ type commit
+ tag signedtag
+ tagger C O Mitter <committer@example.com> 1465981006 +0000
+
+ signed tag
+
+ signed tag message body
+ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
+ Version: GnuPG v1
+
+ iQEcBAABAgAGBQJXYRhOAAoJEGEJLoW3InGJklkIAIcnhL7RwEb/+QeX9enkXhxn
+ rxfdqrvWd1K80sl2TOt8Bg/NYwrUBw/RWJ+sg/hhHp4WtvE1HDGHlkEz3y11Lkuh
+ 8tSxS3qKTxXUGozyPGuE90sJfExhZlW4knIQ1wt/yWqM+33E9pN4hzPqLwyrdods
+ q8FWEqPPUbSJXoMbRPw04S5jrLtZSsUWbRYjmJCHzlhSfFWW4eFd37uquIaLUBS0
+ rkC3Jrx7420jkIpgFcTI2s60uhSQLzgcCwdA2ukSYIRnjg/zDkj8+3h/GaROJ72x
+ lZyI6HWixKJkWw8lE9aAOD9TmTW9sFJwcVAzmAuFX2kUreDUKMZduGcoRYGpD7E=
+ =jpXa
+ -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
+
+Merge tag 'signedtag' into downstream
+
+signed tag
+
+signed tag message body
+
+# gpg: Signature made Wed Jun 15 08:56:46 2016 UTC using RSA key ID B7227189
+# gpg: Good signature from "Eris Discordia <discord@example.net>"
+# gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
+# gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
+# Primary key fingerprint: D4BE 2231 1AD3 131E 5EDA  29A4 6109 2E85 B722 7189
+----
+
+- verify with: verification is embedded in merge commit message by default,
+  alternatively with `git show --show-signature`:
+
+----
+commit 9863f0c76ff78712b6800e199a46aa56afbcbd49
+merged tag 'signedtag'
+gpg: Signature made Wed Jun 15 10:56:46 2016 CEST using RSA key ID B7227189
+gpg: Good signature from "Eris Discordia <discord@example.net>"
+gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
+gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
+Primary key fingerprint: D4BE 2231 1AD3 131E 5EDA  29A4 6109 2E85 B722 7189
+Merge: c33429b 04b8717
+Author: A U Thor <author@example.com>
+Date:   Wed Jun 15 09:13:29 2016 +0000
+
+    Merge tag 'signedtag' into downstream
+
+    signed tag
+
+    signed tag message body
+
+    # gpg: Signature made Wed Jun 15 08:56:46 2016 UTC using RSA key ID B7227189
+    # gpg: Good signature from "Eris Discordia <discord@example.net>"
+    # gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
+    # gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
+    # Primary key fingerprint: D4BE 2231 1AD3 131E 5EDA  29A4 6109 2E85 B722 7189
+----