GnuPG 2.0.9 -- "need secret key to do this"

Hello,

I’ve been using GnuPG 2.0.9 for several months without any problems. I decided I wanted to edit my key, but I keep encountering the message, “Need the secret key to do this.” without being prompted to provide it.

for instance:

$ gpg --edit-key *MyID*

I get my key info, and the new prompt ‘command>’ but I cannot seem to do anything here. for instance:


Command> adduid
Need the secret key to do this.

Command> toggle
Need the secret key to do this.

Similarly, when I try to create a revocation certificate:

$ gpg --output revoke.asc --gen-revoke *MyID*
gpg: secret key "*MyID*" not found: Unknown system error

however if I enter

$ gpg --list-keys

, my key information is provided without error. I also have been regularly encrypting and decrypting files with it.

Some more info:

$ gpg-agent
gpg-agent: gpg-agent running and available

$ which gpg
/usr/bin/gpg

$ which gpg2
/usr/bin/gpg2

$ gpg --version
gpg (GnuPG) 2.0.9
Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Home: ~/.gnupg
Supported algorithms:
Pubkey: RSA, ELG, DSA
Cipher: 3DES, CAST5, BLOWFISH, AES, AES192, AES256, TWOFISH
Hash: MD5, SHA1, RIPEMD160, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512, SHA224
Compression: Uncompressed, ZIP, ZLIB, BZIP2
Used libraries: gcrypt(1.4.0)

$ gpg2 --version
gpg (GnuPG) 2.0.9
Copyright (C) 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Home: ~/.gnupg
Supported algorithms:
Pubkey: RSA, ELG, DSA
Cipher: 3DES, CAST5, BLOWFISH, AES, AES192, AES256, TWOFISH
Hash: MD5, SHA1, RIPEMD160, SHA256, SHA384, SHA512, SHA224
Compression: Uncompressed, ZIP, ZLIB, BZIP2
Used libraries: gcrypt(1.4.0)

any ideas?