[PLUG] what is the point of PGP-signed emails?

Brian Derr bderr at myrealbox.com
Sun Dec 7 17:26:01 UTC 2003


On Sun, Dec 07, 2003 at 05:11:07PM -0800, Jeff Schwaber wrote:
> 1) semi-automagically store public keys on users who send me signed
> emails, and truly automagically verify emails from users who have
> already sent me emails, and

I haven't figured out how to have mutt automatically get a GPG pub key
either.  Especially since most people don't have anything, either in
headers or signature, stating where to find their pub key.

> 2) have a way, as I'm sending an email, to decide not to sign the email.
> The only way I can find in Evolution is to change the actual settings,
> which takes a while.

With mutt you can setup a "send-hook" so that if you are sending an
email to plug at lists.pdxlinux.com it will not automatically sign a
message.  Or you could do just the opposite and have mutt setup not to
sign automatically but have a send-hook to sign for the email address.

> Plus, with lists, the emails _do_ get changed in transit, and so the
> verification probably cannot be done automagically easily, as the
> verification software needs to know how the emails should be changed to
> get them back to verifiable state.

I haven't noticed a problem with this.  When reading my own emails sent
to this list the GPG verifies correctly.  Now, I'm not sure if that is
because of the priv or pub key though.  Perhaps a GPG/PGP guru could
answer that more better.  :-)

Brian

-- 
"The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth
them that trust in him." -- Nahum 1:7 KJV

We are solar powered; we are powered by the Son.  -- Doug Rowse, 2003

If God were small enough to fit into my head He wouldn't be big enough 
to worship.  -- Brett Meador, 2002 
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