Unreliable key server operations

I’ve been experiencing this for a while without being sure it was a bug. Today I’m convinced it is one:

I tried to fetch a public key and it failed:

amnesia@amnesia:~$ gpg --search-keys floriana@accessnow.org
gpg: WARNING: Tor is not properly configured
gpg: error searching keyserver: Permission denied
gpg: keyserver search failed: Permission denied

Then unplugged my Ethernet cable and plugged it back.

Then tried to fetch the same key again and it worked:

amnesia@amnesia:~$ gpg --search-keys floriana@accessnow.org
gpg: data source: http://jirk5u4osbsr34t5.onion:11371
(1)     Floriana Pagano <floriana@accessnow.org>
          4096 bit RSA key 0xB4B65273C21574E0, created: 2017-04-21, expires: 2022-04-20
Keys 1-1 of 1 for "floriana@accessnow.org".  Enter number(s), N)ext, or Q)uit > 1
gpg: key 0xB4B65273C21574E0: public key "Floriana Pagano <floriana@accessnow.org>" imported
gpg: marginals needed: 3  completes needed: 1  trust model: pgp
gpg: depth: 0  valid:   1  signed:  20  trust: 0-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 1u
gpg: depth: 1  valid:  20  signed:  36  trust: 20-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 0u
gpg: next trustdb check due at 2018-04-11
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1

It seems like some keyservers don’t like Tor. Maybe we could configure one that always works?

Related issues

• Related to #14770 (closed)

Original created by @sajolida on 15415 (Redmine)