Can't locate public key or pubring.gpg - followup

[Neil Williams]

On Friday 30 July 2004 12:03, InHisGrip wrote:
> Initially, I intend to use gnupg to encrypt and sign
> or maybe just sign my emails 

Then you need an email client that is security-aware - specifically PGP / 
GnuPG aware. On Linux, that's KMail, Mutt, Mozilla Thunderbird, Mozilla Mail 
and others. On Windows you want Eudora or Mozilla Thunderbird / Mozilla Mail. 
Mozilla on either platform needs the Enigmail plugin - don't know much about 
enigmail on Windows except that it works.

Mozilla Thunderbird/Mail with enigmail also works on MacOSX.

> 1. Can I make my keys from /home/servie logged in
> root? 

Yes. You need access to the keys as an ordinary user so if you copy the files, 
make sure you use chown to set it to the username instead of root. If the 
username is servie, you'd need:
# chown -R servie.servie .gnupg/
(Some Linux distros may require servie.staff or servie.users)

Then logout of root (never a good idea to be in root) and copy the files. To 
prevent warnings from GnuPG, check the permissions on each file before and 
after the copy, use chmod to change.

> Or shall I just logout of root and login using 
> ordinary account and make myself another set of keys?

No point, you've got perfectly usable keys, just not the permission to access 
them as a user.

> 2. Can I just mv ~/.gnupg to /home/servie?

Yes, IF you change the ownership of the files once they are in /home/servie as 
root - you can't use files that are still owned by root when logged in as a 
user. Use ls -l to show the ownership and chown to change.

> And log in 
> as user servie and be able to encrypt and sign.

Once the files are readable by servie, yes.

> 3. Initially, I'd like to sign and encrypt attached
> file from my linux box and scp or ssh the file from
> this box to my windows machine in my small home
> network so that I could send an email with this
> attachment.
> Is there a better way to do this? 

Yes.

1. Sort out your GNU/Linux internet connection and send from GNU/Linux.
2. Sort out your Windows installation and sign within Windows.

> I tried a windows frontend WinPT but it is hard to use
> especially with clipboard.

Only because you are using the wrong email client.

> Is there a fast way to 
> sign or encrypt emails from windows?

A competent email client is the first requirement.

> list below? It's really cool and nice looking. My
> account is yahoo.

Now, see, that's where it goes pear-shaped. Using yahoo or any webmail service 
with signed emails is a PITA. Get a decent email client and sign 
automatically - it's just a case of entering the passphrase once in a while. 
The client does the rest.

> And final question, any tips in sending encrypting
> files across the internet using gnupg on top of scp or
> ssh? I just need some ideas?

I'd say one or t'other. Sending a file encrypted with GnuPG over an SSH 
connection is overkill. If SSH isn't good enough, just use GnuPG. If GnuPG 
isn't good enough, don't use the internet to send it!

P.S. PLEASE strip unnecessary lines from your replies. Poor quoting will put 
people off helping you.

-- 

Neil Williams
=============
http://www.codehelp.co.uk/
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