Can't add a passphrase to gpg-agent

[doug]

I have: claws-mail-pgp-3.17.5
         geany-plugin-pg-1.36
         gnupg-2.2.20
         gpgme-1.13.1

and start gpg-agend with gpg-connect-agent /bye. The claws-mail and geany 
will not prompt for the passphrase since I added some keys to the key-ring. 
claws-mail worked with one key that matched the email profile. I've had no 
luck with any options in gpg.conf, The gpg command flags anything as an 
error. The following:
    default-cache-ttl 46000
    allow-preset-passphrase

gets: gpg -d dtd.txt
       gpg: /home/doug/.gnupg/gpg.conf:1: invalid option
       gpg: /home/doug/.gnupg/gpg.conf:2: invalid option

What does work is starting the agent with `gpg-connect-agent /bye` and then 
`gpg -d dtd.txt` which prompts for the passphrase after which claws-mail 
and geany work fine.

The last thing I tried:

    /usr/local/libexec/gpg-preset-passphrase --preset -c <Keygrip>
    gpg-preset-passphrase: caching passphrase failed: Not supported