Step 3.b Send a test encrypted email
Write a new email in your email program, addressed to edward-en@fsf.org. Make the subject "Encryption test" or something similar and write something in the body.
The key in the bottom right of the window should be yellow, meaning encryption is on. This will be your default from now on.
Next to the key, you'll notice an icon of a pencil. Clicking this tells Enigmail to add a special, unique signature to your message, generated using your private key. This is a separate feature from encryption, and you don't have to use it for this guide.
Click Send. Enigmail will pop up a window that says "Recipients not valid, not trusted or not found."
To encrypt an email to Edward, you need his public key, so now you'll have Enigmail download it from a keyserver. Click Download Missing Keys and use the default in the pop-up that asks you to choose a keyserver. Once it finds keys, check the first one (Key ID starting with C), then select ok. Select ok in the next pop-up.
Now you are back at the "Recipients not valid, not trusted or not found" screen. Check the box in front of Edward's key and click Send.
Since you encrypted this email with Edward's public key, Edward's private key is required to decrypt it. Edward is the only one with his private key, so no one except him — not even you — can decrypt it.
Troubleshooting
- Enigmail can't find Edward's key
- Close the pop-ups that have appeared since you clicked Send. Make sure you are connected to the Internet and try again. If that doesn't work, repeat the process, choosing a different keyserver when it asks you to pick one.
- Don't see a solution to your problem?
- Please let us know on the feedback page.