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#1 2007-09-11 2:42 am
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Importing a public key into mail
I've set up encryption in mail, and everything works great.
Just today, I got a public key from someone's website, and I wish to send them email. The key is called 'signature.asc', and starts:
Code:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org
I have tried giving it different extensions and importing it into the keychain, to no avail. How can I get mail to recognise my system as having this person's public key?
Thanks,
jb
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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#2 2007-09-11 4:00 am
- D'Eyncourt
- OMGDICTATOR
- Registered: 2001-12-27
- Posts: 8807
- Website
Re: Importing a public key into mail
In Apple Mail under the Window menu select PGP Key Search and put in the address of the e-mail address of that person. You should get a listing which will confirm that the signature is good and you will then have the option to add his public key to your PGP keychain.
BOYCOTT SONY
"I think the question now is not whether you went to Vietnam or whether you didn't, whether you fought in the war or fought against the war. I think the only question is whether we can find a president smart enough never to make a mistake like that again"--Molly Ivins, way back in 1992
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#3 2007-09-11 4:34 am
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Re: Importing a public key into mail
I haven't installed PGP or anything like that; I'm using the default apple mail encryption software - nothing more.
My 'window' menu looks like this:
Sorry for any confusion.
jb
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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#4 2007-09-11 3:32 pm
- D'Eyncourt
- OMGDICTATOR
- Registered: 2001-12-27
- Posts: 8807
- Website
Re: Importing a public key into mail
BOYCOTT SONY
"I think the question now is not whether you went to Vietnam or whether you didn't, whether you fought in the war or fought against the war. I think the only question is whether we can find a president smart enough never to make a mistake like that again"--Molly Ivins, way back in 1992
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#5 2007-09-11 4:25 pm
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Re: Importing a public key into mail
Ok, thanks for the links. Do you recommend one over the other?
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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#7 2007-09-11 7:31 pm
- D'Eyncourt
- OMGDICTATOR
- Registered: 2001-12-27
- Posts: 8807
- Website
Re: Importing a public key into mail
Actually PGP itself is free which is why I linked to the international version--PGPi.org--sorry, I did fail to add this in my previous post.
PGP Desktop is commercial software sold by PGP.com (note: lack of "i") which has some additional features, none of which is enough to justify paying for it.
As far as which to use: GPG has AppleMail support while PGPi does not (yet).
BOYCOTT SONY
"I think the question now is not whether you went to Vietnam or whether you didn't, whether you fought in the war or fought against the war. I think the only question is whether we can find a president smart enough never to make a mistake like that again"--Molly Ivins, way back in 1992
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#8 2007-09-11 9:13 pm
Re: Importing a public key into mail
I see the issue. My mistake was only looking at the newest version on the pgpi.org site. Up to 7.0.3 it was freeware, however if you click the 8.0 binary however it sends you to pgp.com to get a 30 day trial of PGP Desktop and clicking 8.0 source code sends you to pgp.com where you have to fill out a form to get the otherwise free source code so you can compile it. I don't think that he will want to try compiling it from the source code if he is asking how to get it working with mail and doesn't know the difference between one and the other. It's probably beyond his current level of computer experience meaning for him an old non-universal version of the software or a trial of a commercial product are his only options. Where as you point out GPG is free has better mail support and as I saw when I looked comes in a universal binary as well as PowerPC binaries of the current version as well as the source code.
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#9 2007-09-12 3:27 am
- D'Eyncourt
- OMGDICTATOR
- Registered: 2001-12-27
- Posts: 8807
- Website
Re: Importing a public key into mail
Yeah, there is that problem of the offer of source code. I know that if you dig hard enough that there is a Mac-compiled version of the PGP program somewhere, but why bother when Mac-compatible forms of GPG are available.
Anyway, I was just attempting a clarification. jb, go with GPG. 
BOYCOTT SONY
"I think the question now is not whether you went to Vietnam or whether you didn't, whether you fought in the war or fought against the war. I think the only question is whether we can find a president smart enough never to make a mistake like that again"--Molly Ivins, way back in 1992
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#10 2007-09-12 4:38 am
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Re: Importing a public key into mail
Ok, thanks for all your input people. You have been most helpful.
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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