how do I install batchpass?

[JackWagon885]

hi, I'm a bit of an idiot, but I can't seem to find ANYTHING on installing batchpass at ALL. a little help please?
I'm running Linux Mint.

[yudin-s]

batchpass is built from the age repo, but it is a separate plugin binary named age-plugin-batchpass. On Linux Mint the least confusing install path is usually to install/build the whole age command set and make sure the Go bin directory is on your PATH.

If you already have Go installed:

go install filippo.io/age/cmd/...@latest
export PATH="$HOME/go/bin:$PATH"

Then check that both commands are visible:

age --version
age-plugin-batchpass --version

After that, age discovers the plugin by name when you use -j batchpass:

AGE_PASSPHRASE='your passphrase' age -e -j batchpass file.txt > file.txt.age
AGE_PASSPHRASE='your passphrase' age -d -j batchpass file.txt.age > file.txt

Two caveats from the plugin docs are worth keeping in mind:

• batchpass is meant for non-interactive passphrase use through AGE_PASSPHRASE or AGE_PASSPHRASE_FD.
• If a script/CI job is remembering the secret anyway, an age identity file is usually the better design than passphrase encryption.

So for "install batchpass", the important bit is not a separate Linux Mint package; it is getting age-plugin-batchpass installed somewhere on PATH next to age.

If this gets it working, please mark the answer so the plugin install path is easier to find.

[JackWagon885]

this definitely got me farther, but now I'm getting this error when I try & run this line:
AGE_PASSPHRASE="1234" age -d -j batchpass "$file".age > "$file"

(yes, "1234" is a test password)

[yudin-s]

Can you paste the actual error text? The command line you pasted is shaped correctly for decrypting a file that was originally encrypted with batchpass, but the exact message matters.

Two quick checks while you grab it:

echo "$file"
AGE_PASSPHRASE="1234" age -e -j batchpass "$file" > "$file".age
AGE_PASSPHRASE="1234" age -d -j batchpass "$file".age > "$file.out"

If the file was encrypted with normal age -p or a recipient/key instead of -j batchpass, decrypting with -j batchpass will not match that file. If the error is about the file not existing, it is probably the shell variable/path rather than batchpass itself.