TEXTMODE Option in Gpg4Win ?

[David Shaw]

> On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 09:03:42AM -0700, Larry Seabrook wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > We are using the Gpg4Win product for encrypting files.
> >
> > The files we are encrypting and sending are text files with carriage-return and linefeed characters at the end of each line (record).
> >
> > The receiver of these files needs the CR and LF characters preserved by the encryption-decryption process. The files contain valid text data only.
> >
> > When the file is decrypted by the receiver using another PGP-compliant product, the CR and LF characters are lost.
> >
> > I BELIEVE we need to use the TEXTMODE=ON option when encrypting the file but the GUI for Gpg4Win does not reference this option, not can I find any reference to a Configuration File in the Gpg4Win GUI or documentation.
> >
> > QUESTION:  How is TEXTMODE=ON or it's equivalent set when using Gpg4Win?
> 
> "TEXTMODE=ON" is an old PGP 2.x command.  It has nothing to do with GPG.  Plus, it's actually the opposite of what you want.  In OpenPGP, a text file is canonicalized into a standard format when encrypted, and re-canonicalized to the platform local format when decrypted.
> Both of these steps can change the CRLF line ending.
> 
> If you want to guarantee that there are no changes at all, and the decrypted data is a byte for byte copy of the original, then turn off textmode.

On Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 12:45:39PM -0700, Larry Seabrook wrote:
> David,
> 
> Do you recommend having a "gpg.conf" file containing "TEXTMODE=OFF" or just omitting that file altogether?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Larry

Please do not top-post.

As I said, TEXTMODE=whatever is not a GPG command.  It has no
functionality in GPG whatsoever.

GPG defaults to textmode being disabled.  If you are not turning it
on, GPG doesn't turn it on for you.

David