newbie question about identities

[Stewart V. Wright]

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* Atom 'Smasher' <atom-gpg@suspicious.org> [031003 10:01]:'

> > You can have several keypairs.
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>=20
> yeah... i figured out that part... the question is whether or not that's
> the proper (or only) way to keep separate identities isolated from each
> other, or if there's another way.

You need to stop thinking about identities identifying a key, and
start thinking about the key fingerprint.  The fingerprint 'gpg
--fingerprint' remains constant, but you can change ids.  Take my key
for example.  I have 4 different ids and at least 2 of them will not
be valid in 12 months, but the key will be (for a while at least...)

Also, there are umpteen keys on the key servers with my name (id)
attached to them (really should have learnt about revoking all those
years ago!) but only two are valid at the moment.

=20
> according to [my understanding of] the documentation, it says that you can
> have multiple identities sharing a key-pair (which is correct), and it
> seems to imply that that those identities are isolated from each other
> (which seems to be incorrect).

Um, I don't remember seeing that or getting that impression, but if
you can quote the section (and even rewrite it) I'm sure the doc
maintainers would be interested...

=20
> i guess i'm trying to clarify whether the problem is in the
> implementation,=20

Nope.
> the documentation,

Nope.

> or just my understanding of it... it

Yup.  ;-)

> seems like the handbook is advocating something that's not quite right,
> and i'm trying to figure out which way(s) are right. i'm also trying to
> verify that the documentation is either incorrect or misleading.

Nope.  Just you!   Hehehe...



> http://smasher.suspicious.org/fs1r  Yamaha FS1R
>=20
> 	"I don't know anything about music.
> 	 In my line you don't have to."

Naughty!!!  http://learn.to/sign
  "Please keep it down to four lines and 70 columns at maximum!"
  "The format of the sigdashes line is "^-- $", ie it consists of two
  dashes and a trailing space *only*."=20


Cheers,

S.
=20
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