Which GPG version?

[Patrick Brunschwig]

On 01.08.16 19:28, Peter Lebbing wrote:
> On 01/08/16 17:54, whitey at mixnym.net wrote:
>> I see that there are three versions of GnuPG available. Assuming no hardware
>> constraints, is there any reason to choose Classic 1.4 or Stable 2.0 instead
>> of Modern 2.1?  It appears to do everything the others can and more.
> 
> I think usually the constraints are software constraints. But 1.4 might be more
> appropriate in for instance a headless server. I suppose that counts as a
> hardware constraint indeed :-).
> 
> I'd say, go for 2.1. I think 2.0 is more for people who wish to stick to 2.0 for
> whatever reason. If you don't have any particular motivation to use 2.0 or 1.4,
> you should go for 2.1.

I see the world a little different :-)

2.1 is the current development branch, where we sometimes see heavy
changes that can cause bugs, crashes and incompatibilities with other
software.

2.0 is stable and only receives a limited number of well-tested changes
and security fixes.

If you want to try new features like curve-based encryption, or if you
are a developer, then go for 2.1. Otherwise, if you are a regular
end-user, then go for 2.0 and wait with upgrading until 2.1 has become
mature. This will result in 2.2 being released.

Patrick