gpg-2-go + winpt + usb drive // do-able !

[vedaal at hush.com]

as winpt does not need any 'path' or registry entries in windows,
it can easily be set up on a usb drive to run with gpg-2-go,
without any installation into windows, and then run just by 

double-clicking on the WinPT.exe file

what is necessary is:

[a] gpg-2-go  (http://www.torduninja.tk/)

[b] winpt 0.9.90 (http://www.stud.uni-
hannover.de/~twoaday/winpt.html)

[c] a windows .dll file  (shell32.dll)
(this is in the windows 'system32' folder,
on win xp pro, this is an 8 mb file,
on win 2k pro, it is 2.3 mb)

it might be a good idea to get one for each windows system,
and keep them in a backup folder in the usb drive,
(i have not tried using the one from xp on any other windows 
system)


once these are gotten,
then:

[1] unzip winpt into the root usb directory 

[2] copy the shell32.dll into the same usb root directory where 
winpt 
is

[3] in gpg.conf,
change the home directory drive letter from A:\
to the letter of the usb drive
(n.b. this will often change from computer to computer, depending 
on 
how many cd, dvd, zip, or other drives are already present,)

[4] double-click on the 'go.bat' file in gpg-2-go,
and a dos window should open,
type
 
gpg -h

and confirm that gnupg is running

[5] double-click on the WinPT.exe file

winpt will give several error message alerts as it looks for the 
keys
and other gnupg files,

then it will ask for their locations,
and a winpt 'gpg preferences' window will open,
asking for the locations of the gnupg home directory,
gpg.conf, gpg.exe, and locale directory
(again, these may need to be changed when the usb drive letter 
changes 
when moving from host to host)

once these are entered,
just double-click again on WinPT.exe
and the keys will load, and the familiar winpt key icon will be in 
the 
right-hand side of the windows tray toolbar

and then, all winpt functions work,
including wipe original, wipe files, and wipe free-space

(the one thing that may not work is the keyserver access,
if the host system allows only http 
and no non-browser internet access)


minor interesting tweak: 

if the public host computer doesn't allow a usb key attachment,
and allows only front-loading usb connectors of different types,

then the entire above setup can easily be stored on a 16 meg memory 

card of a digital camera (with enough room left over for a few 
pictures ;-)  ),

and gpg-2go + winpt can be run by connecting the camera usb port, 
and 
accessing the drive the same way as any other connected usb drive


using winpt this way, in addition to providing a comfortable gui,
also provides an 'eraser'-type wipe function,
(DoD or Gutmann settings) that isn't available 
in the gnupg command-line
 

vedaal



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