Troubleshooting
- -- I can't find the menu.
- In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image of three stacked horizontal bars. @@ -639,16 +608,17 @@ page.
From: zoe1
Most GNU/Linux operating systems come with GnuPG installed on them, -so you don't have to download it. Before configuring your encryption setup with this guide, though, you'll need a desktop email program based on Thunderbird installed on your computer. Many GNU/Linux distributions have Thunderbird installed already. If you're using a [fully free distribution of GNU/Linux](https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html), we recommend installing "Icedove" instead. Programs like these are another way to access the same email accounts you can access in a browser (like Gmail), but provide extra features.
+so you don't have to download it. Before configuring your encryption setup with this guide, though, you'll need a desktop email program based on Thunderbird installed on your computer. Many GNU/Linux distributions have Thunderbird installed already. If you're using a fully free distribution of GNU/Linux, we recommend installing "Icedove" instead. Programs like these are another way to access the same email accounts you can access in a browser (like Gmail), but provide extra features.If you already have an email program, you can skip to Step 1.b.
+href="#section2">Step 2. @@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ href="#step-1b">Step 1.b. @@ -596,37 +596,6 @@ like "Add account" or "New/Existing email account."To use the GnuPG system, you'll need a public key and a private key (known together as a keypair). Each is a long string of randomly generated numbers @@ -676,86 +646,76 @@ discuss this more in the next section.
We will use the command line to create a keypair using the gnupg program. This should be installed on your Gnu/Linux operating system.
-Open a terminal using
To answer what kind of key you would like to create, select the default option
Enter the following keysize:
Choose the expiration date, we suggest
#
# To answer what kind of key you would like to create, select the default option
# Enter the following keysize:
# Choose the expiration date, we suggest
Follow the prompts to continue setting up with your personal details.
- - -- What does RSA mean - -- Why the 4096 keysize - - -On the screen titled "Passphrase," pick a strong password! You can do it manually, or you can use the Diceware method. Doing it manually is faster but not as secure. Using Diceware takes longer and requires dice, but creates a password that is much harder for attackers to figure out. To use it, read the section "Make a secure passphrase with Diceware" in -this article by Micah Lee.
If you'd like to pick a password manually, come up with something +
If you'd like to pick a passphrase manually, come up with something you can remember which is at least twelve characters long, and includes at least one lower case and upper case letter and at least one number or punctuation symbol. Never pick a password you've used elsewhere. Don't use any recognizable patterns, such as birthdays, telephone numbers, pets' names, song lyrics, quotes from books, and so on.
- - -When the "Key Generation Completed" screen -pops up, select Generate Certificate and choose to save it in a safe place on -your computer (we recommend making a folder called "Revocation Certificate" -in your home folder and keeping it there). This step is essential for your -email self-defense, as you'll learn more about in Section -5.
+-
GPG is not installed. You can check if this is the case with -
gnupg --version -
If Gnupg is not installed, it would bring up the following result: -
Command 'gpg' not found, but can be installed with: - sudo apt install gnupg -
Then follow that command and install the program: - sudo apt install gnupg gnupg2
Right click on your key and select Upload Public Keys to Keyserver. You -don't have to use the default keyserver. If, after research, you would like -to change to a different default keyserver, you can change that setting -manually in the Enigmail preferences.
+Now someone who wants to send you an encrypted message can -download your public key from the Internet. There are multiple keyservers +
We will upload your key to a keyserver, so if someone wants to send you an encrypted message, they can download your public key from the Internet. There are multiple keyservers that you can select from the menu when you upload, but they are all copies of each other, so it doesn't matter which one you use. However, it sometimes takes a few hours for them to match each other when a new key is uploaded.
+# Copy your keyID
# Upload your key to a server:
Just in case you lose your key, or it gets compromised, you want to generate a certificate and choose to save it in a safe place on your computer (we recommend making a folder called "Revocation Certificate" in your home folder and keeping it there). This step is essential for your email self-defense, as you'll learn more about in Section +5.
+# Copy your keyID
# Upload your key to a server:
# It will prompt you to give a reason for revocation, we recommend to use
# You don't have to fill in a reason, but you can, then press enter for an empty line, and comfirm your selection.
+ +Use the following command to export your secret key so you can import it into your email client at the next step. To avoid getting your key compromised, store this in a safe place, and make sure that if it is transferred, it is done so in a trusted way. Exporting your keys can be done with the following commands:
+ +$ gpg --export-secret-keys -a keyid > my_secret_key.asc
+$ gpg --export -a keyid > my_public_key.asc
+If you have (for any reason) created your own folders inside ~/.gnupg, you must also additionally apply execute permissions to that folder. Folders require execution privileges to be opened. For more information on permissions, you can check out this detailed information guide.
+In general, the terms GnuPG, GPG, GNU Privacy Guard, OpenPGP and PGP are used interchangeably. Technically, OpenPGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the encryption standard, and GNU Privacy Guard (often shortened to GPG or GnuPG) -is the program that implements the standard. Enigmail is a plug-in program -for your email program that provides an interface for GnuPG.
+is the program that implements the standard. Most email programs provide an interface for GnuPG. There is also a newer version of GnuPG, called GnuPG2.Icedove and Thunderbird email programs have PGP functionality integrated, which makes it pretty easy to work with. We'll take you through the steps of integrating and using your key in these email clients.
+ +# Open your email client and use "Tools" →
# Under "File" →
# Select the file you saved under the name [my_secret_key.asc] in step step 3.b when you exported your key
+# Unlock with your passphrase
+# You will receive a "OpenPGP keys successfully imported" window to confirm success
+# Go to "Edit" (in Icedove) or "Tools" (in Thunderbird) → "Account settings" → "End-To-End Encryption", and make sure your key is imported and select
Now you'll try a test correspondence with a computer program named Edward, who knows how to use encryption. Except where noted, these are the same steps you'd follow when corresponding with a real, live person.
@@ -896,85 +949,96 @@ testing with Edward. -->This is a special step that you won't have to do when corresponding -with real people. In your email program's menu, go to Enigmail → Key -Management. You should see your key in the list that pops up. Right click +with real people. In your email program's menu, go to "Tools" → "OpenPGP Key +Manager". You should see your key in the list that pops up. Right click on your key and select Send Public Keys by Email. This will create a new -draft message, as if you had just hit the Write button.
+draft message, as if you had just hit the Write button, but in the attachment you will find your public keyfile.Address the message to edward-en@fsf.org. Put at least one word (whatever you want) in the subject and body of the email. Don't send yet.
-The lock icon in the top left should be yellow, meaning encryption is -turned on. We want this first special message to be unencrypted, so -click the icon once to turn it off. The lock should become grey, with a -blue dot on it (to alert you that the setting has been changed from the -default). Once encryption is off, hit Send.
+We want Edward to be able to open the email with your keyfile, so we want this first special message to be unencrypted. Make sure encryption is turned off by using the drowpdown menu "Security" and select
It may take two or three minutes for Edward to respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the Use it Well section of this guide. Once he's responded, +href="#section6">Use it Well section of this guide. Once he's responded, head to the next step. From here on, you'll be doing just the same thing as when corresponding with a real person.
-When you open Edward's reply, GnuPG may prompt you for your password +
When you open Edward's reply, GnuPG may prompt you for your passphrase before using your private key to decrypt it.
The lock icon in the top left of the window should be yellow, meaning -encryption is on. This will be your default from now on.
+Next to the lock, you'll notice an icon of a pencil. We'll -get to this in a moment.
+To encrypt an email to Edward, you need his public key, so now you'll have +to download it from a keyserver. You can do this in two different ways:
+Option 1. In the email answer you received from Edward as a response to your first email, Edward's public key was included. On the right of the email, just above the writing area, you will find an "OpenPGP" button that has a lock and a little wheel next to it. Click that, and select
Click Send. Enigmail will pop up a window that says "Recipients not valid, -not trusted or not found."
+Option 2. Open your OpenPGP manager and under "Keyserver" choose
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.
+The option
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.
+Edward has many different emails associated with its key, you can safely import the key.
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 can decrypt it.
+# 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.
+ +This time, make sure encryption is turned on by using the drowpdown menu "Security" and select
For greater security against potential attacks, you can turn off @@ -1039,26 +1097,38 @@ Text.
When Edward receives your email, he will use his private key to decrypt it, then reply to you.
It may take two or three minutes for Edward to respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the Use it Well section of this guide.
+href="#section6">Use it Well section of this guide. + +Edward will send you an encrypted email back saying your email was received and decypted. Your email client will automatically decrypt Edward's message.
+ +The OpenPGP button in the email will show a little green v over the lock symbol to show the message is encypted, and a little orange warning sign which means that you have accepted the key, but not verified it. When you have not yet accepted the key, you will see a little question mark there. Clicking the prompts in this button will lead you to key properties as well.
GnuPG includes a way for you to sign messages and files, verifying that they came from you and that they weren't tampered with along the way. These @@ -1077,17 +1147,16 @@ pencil icon next to the lock icon so that it turns gold. If you sign a message, GnuPG may ask you for your password before it sends the message, because it needs to unlock your private key for signing.
-With the lock and pencil icons, you can choose whether each message will -be encrypted, signed, both, or neither.
+In "Account Settings" → "End-To-End-Encryption" you can opt to
When Edward receives your email, he will use your public key (which you sent him in Step 3.A) to verify the message @@ -1095,31 +1164,29 @@ you sent has not been tampered with and to encrypt his reply to you.
It may take two or three minutes for Edward to respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the Use it Well section of this guide.
+href="#section6">Use it Well section of this guide.Edward's reply will arrive encrypted, because he prefers to use encryption whenever possible. If everything goes according to plan, it should say "Your signature was verified." If your test signed email was also encrypted, he will mention that first.
-When you receive Edward's email and open it, Enigmail will +
When you receive Edward's email and open it, your email client will automatically detect that it is encrypted with your public key, and then it will use your private key to decrypt it.
-Notice the bar that Enigmail shows you above the message, with -information about the status of Edward's key.
-Email encryption is a powerful technology, but it has a weakness; it requires a way to verify that a person's public key is actually @@ -1145,31 +1212,25 @@ connected to each other by chains of trust expressed through signatures.
In your email program's menu, go to Enigmail → Key Management.
+Right click on Edward's public key and select Sign Key from the context -menu.
+In your email program's menu, go to OpenPGP Key Manager and select
In the window that pops up, select "I will not answer" and click ok.
- -Now you should be back at the Key Management menu. Select Keyserver → -Upload Public Keys and hit ok.
+Under "Your Acceptance", you can select
You've just effectively said "I trust that Edward's public key actually belongs to Edward." This doesn't mean much because Edward isn't -a real person, but it's good practice.
+a real person, but it's good practice, and for real people it is important. You can read more about signing a person's key in the check IDs before signing sectionPeople's public keys are usually identified by their key fingerprint, which is a string of digits like F357AA1A5B1FA42CFD9FE52A9FF2194CC09A61E8 (for Edward's key). You can see the fingerprint for your public key, and -other public keys saved on your computer, by going to Enigmail → Key +other public keys saved on your computer, by going to OpenPGP Key Management in your email program's menu, then right clicking on the key and choosing Key Properties. It's good practice to share your fingerprint wherever you share your email address, so that people can double-check that @@ -1231,10 +1292,7 @@ time, and witnessing interactions between them and others. Whenever signing a key, ask to see the full public key fingerprint, and not just the shorter key ID. If you feel it's important to sign the key of someone you've just met, also ask them to show you their government identification, and make -sure the name on the ID matches the name on the public key. In Enigmail, -answer honestly in the window that pops up and asks "How carefully have you -verified that the key you are about to sign actually belongs to the person(s) -named above?"
+sure the name on the ID matches the name on the public key.Everyone uses GnuPG a little differently, but it's important to follow some basic practices to keep your email secure. Not following them, you @@ -1278,12 +1329,12 @@ and damage the Web of Trust.
In your email program, go back to the first encrypted email that Edward sent you. Because Edward encrypted it with your public key, it will have a -message from Enigmail at the top, which most likely says "Enigmail: Part of -this message encrypted."
+green v a at the top "OpenPGP" button. -When using GnuPG, make a habit of glancing at that bar. The program +
When using GnuPG, make a habit of glancing at that button. The program will warn you there if you get an email signed with a key that can't be trusted.