Alan McKinnon wrote: > On Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:04:11 -0600 Dale <rdalek1...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Chris Walters wrote: >>> On 1/19/2012 11:57 AM, Frank Steinmetzger wrote: >>>> On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 12:53:07AM -0600, Dale wrote: >>>> >>>>> While on this subject, sort of. Who on here as their email >>>>> set up to encrypt and decrypt emails? I want to test some >>>>> things OFF LIST. >>>> >>>> Well, if you had signed your mail, then I could write you >>>> encrypted. :) >>> >>> This is a test. Enigmail has been trying to use a revoked and >>> expired key to sign my messages, lately. >>> >>> Chris >>> >> >> >> I have a question now. I got a message from Paul Hartman and >> replied to it, off list, and it was encrypted and I hope my reply >> was too. My question is this. How do you make a email that only >> the sender and receiver can read? As a example. I'm talking to >> a Doctor or a lawyer and I don't want anyone but that person to >> see the email. How do I do that? Can that be done. >> >> The message that I am repying to appears to be something, >> encypted maybe, but I think anyone on this list that uses the >> tool can read it. Am I correct? >> >> I'm trying to get a full understanding of this thing. Ya'll know >> how I am. lol > > Well we first need to be accurate. It's not a case that only you > and Paul can read the encrypted mail. It's a case that only a > machine holding the necessary private key can decrypt it, and then > the mail can be read in plain text. Not quite the same thing as > what you said, as private keys can be stolen. > > If Paul encrypted the mail using your public key, then only the > private key you hold can decrypt it. Similarly, if you encrypt a > mail to Paul using his public key, then only Paul's private key can > decrypt it. > > There's no known way to decrypt a mail like that without the > single private key needed (this works exactly like https traffic to > your bank). I feel very confident saying "no known way" as cracking > that puzzle has been the Holy Grail of maths prizes for 40 years > and no-one has announced success. Seeing as mathematicians are a > vain lot, and the one that accomplishes this feat with be showered > with honour and glory for all time (making Einstein look like a > child), it's a safe assumption that it hasn't been done yet. > > To check if the mail was encrypted, simply tell EnigMail to not > decrypt it. It will show as gobbledegook, then only the recipient > can decrypt it (as long as the private key stays safe). > > To make this all work, you need to share public keys with each > other. But you don't need to do it in secret as the public keys > are, well, public. So you stick them on a key server where the > other guy can retrieve them and away you go, profit!!! There's a > few other steps you should do to establish trust in the public key > (they can be forged) but that's beyond the scope of explaining how > the keys work. > > The answer to your question is then yes. > > I suppose next you'll be wanting to know what fields to fill in in > your specific mail app to enable it your end, right? > > > >
I don't think so. I been chatting with Paul off list. I can open his encypted emails and he can open mine. I think we call that success? I think I got this now. I got one more message to read tho. Getting it explained in more than one way helps me. I have to have that light bulb moment. ;-) Dale :-) :-) -- I am only responsible for what I said ... Not for what you understood or how you interpreted my words! Miss the compile output? Hint: EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS="--quiet-build=n"
