Cannot import public key

[Volker Gaibler]

On Fri, Nov 15, 2002 at 11:34:02AM -0500, Prem Ratnam wrote:
> # gpg --import PHH.key.6.5.2.asc
> gpg: key 9D8380B1: no valid user IDs
> gpg: this may be caused by a missing self-signature
> gpg: Total number processed: 1
> gpg:           w/o user IDs: 1

That's the reason: "this may be caused by a missing self-signature".
"gpg --list-packets key.asc" shows

   :public key packet:
        version 3, algo 1, created 917538640, expires 0
        pkey[0]: [768 bits]
        pkey[1]: [5 bits]
   :user ID packet: "PHH Vehicle Managment Services"

There is no self-signature on the user ID. You can force GnuPG to accept
the key with the option "--allow-non-selfsigned-uid" when importing and
encrypting to it (see man page) but you should better not do this.
Please note that "this is not recommended because a non-selfsigned user
ID ist trivial to forge". Better ask the key owner to sign his key -
that's not too much work ;-). Some old PGP versions didn't do that by
default.

> I have no trouble importing the same key into a Windows based PGP
> Freeware product.

Your PGP version accepts non-selfsigned uids - GnuPG does not by
default.

Volker


-- 
 Volker Gaibler                                 contact:
 http://www.volker-gaibler.de                   mail@volker-gaibler.de
 OpenPGP key: 0x86ECAC0B
 get my public key from website above 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+