email verification as casual checking?

[Doug Barton]

On 8/23/14 12:12 AM, Nicolai Josuttis wrote:
> if I try to use keyserver.pgp.com as enigmail key server
> it neither accepts public keys I want to upload
> nor gives responses to searches of emails I know they have.
>
> Am I missing something or does this key server only
> work on a manual copy&paste or upload/download base?

The keyserver interface is read-only, you cannot upload keys to it. You 
can only do that via the web page, and it will only accept your upload 
after you have verified your e-mail address. IMO that's a feature, and I 
wish the "regular" keyservers did not accept any key from any person. 
(And yes, I know this is a harder problem than it sounds, just sayin') :)

The following commands both worked as expected for me:

gpg --keyserver ldap://keyserver.pgp.com --recv-keys 1a1abc84
gpg: requesting key 1A1ABC84 from ldap server keyserver.pgp.com
gpg: key 1A1ABC84: "Douglas Barton <dougb at dougbarton.us>" 2 new signatures
gpg: key 1A1ABC84: "Douglas Barton <dougb at dougbarton.us>" 2 signatures 
cleaned

gpg --keyserver ldap://keyserver.pgp.com --search-keys dougb at dougbarton.us
gpg: searching for "dougb at dougbarton.us" from ldap server keyserver.pgp.com
(1)	Douglas Barton <dougb at dougbarton.us>
	  2048 bit RSA key 1A1ABC84, created: 2010-03-23
Keys 1-1 of 1 for "dougb at dougbarton.us".  Enter number(s), N)ext, or 
Q)uit > 1
gpg: requesting key 1A1ABC84 from ldap server keyserver.pgp.com
gpg: key 1A1ABC84: "Douglas Barton <dougb at dougbarton.us>" not changed
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:              unchanged: 1

FYI, their server is LDAP-only, so if your install does not include that 
capability it might explain why your attempt failed.

hth,

Doug