Re: A better interface to the GnuPG-Framework (Re: EasyGnuPG)

[Dashamir Hoxha]

On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 3:53 PM, Paolo Bolzoni <
paolo.bolzoni.br...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I guess we should start from the desired use case.
> We want a GUI for what? Encrypting? Signing? Managing the web of
> trust? SSH login? Everything?


I think that deciding the desired use case(s) is important.
In a certain use case only 5-6 commands/operations/options may be needed,
not 300+.

In my opinion this is one of the problems with `gpg`. It is so generic that
it tries to cover all the possible cases. Consequently, it is huge, and
difficult, and suitable for none of them. It is more like a library than
like a user interface. Any GUI that tries to follow it faithfully will be
difficult, confusing and unintuitive. Each GUI should try to simplify
according to its specific use case.

Another problem that people have noticed with PGP (and inherited to GPG by
trying to follow PGP faithfully), is the confusing terminology (private
key, public key, etc.). In egpg I have tried to improve this by using the
term "key" for the personal key-pair, and using the term "contact" for the
public keys of the people with whom we communicate. This term ("contact")
maybe does not have an exactly correct meaning, but it is widely popular,
even among dummies who have never used anything but a (non-smart) mobile
phone. If you say "contact" they immediately think about the details of a
person with whom you want to communicate

The names of the commands and options can be improved as well, to better
fit the use case on which the GUI app is being used. I have also tried to
make sure that there is only one valid (unrevoked and unexpired) private
key at any time. Allowing more than one would increase the complexity of
the interface and make things more complicated. In certain cases you may
need more than one valid keys, but these cases are rare and can be handled
by other means.

Dashamir
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Re: A better interface to the GnuPG-Framework (Re: EasyGnuPG)

[Ben McGinnes]

On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 03:45:09PM +0100, Bernhard Reiter wrote:
> On Tuesday 22 March 2016 at 15:14:41, Ben McGinnes wrote:
> > You know what might, though, if someone were to take up the old GPA
> > project perhaps ... maybe port it to GTK 3 or implement a Qt version.
> 
> We have just cleanup and simplified the structure of Kleopatra,
> so that is making steps into the direction of the Qt5 version
> you are thinking of. If you want to help improve a gui part 
> Andre currently is hacking on Kleopatra, so that is a good chance
> to test and give feedback about its user interface.
> 
> We want to know what it would take to make Kleo an easy
> to use crypto GUI for GnuPG.

Ah, no, I think I'll have to leave that to the others.  Mainly because
I already have quite the task ahead of me with the future planned
GPGME Python 3 work (GPyGME, but it's waiting on the GPGME overhaul),
though also because the last serious effort I made at any GUI
programming was with Tkinter about 15 years ago (and I sucked at it).

As for more modern things ... well I'verecently dumped Thunderbird to
return to Mutt plus Emacs, so I guess that says something.  Note, that
wasn't Enigmail's fault, it was purely the compounding of Mozilla's
... whatever it's becoming (plus it can't handle the volume of mail
and accounts I have to deal with).

 
Regards,
Ben


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Re: A better interface to the GnuPG-Framework (Re: EasyGnuPG)

[Paolo Bolzoni]

I guess we should start from the desired use case.
We want a GUI for what? Encrypting? Signing? Managing the web of
trust? SSH login? Everything?

On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 3:45 PM, Bernhard Reiter  wrote:
> On Tuesday 22 March 2016 at 15:14:41, Ben McGinnes wrote:
>> You know what might, though, if someone were to take up the old GPA
>> project perhaps ... maybe port it to GTK 3 or implement a Qt version.
>
> We have just cleanup and simplified the structure of Kleopatra,
> so that is making steps into the direction of the Qt5 version
> you are thinking of. If you want to help improve a gui part
> Andre currently is hacking on Kleopatra, so that is a good chance
> to test and give feedback about its user interface.
>
> We want to know what it would take to make Kleo an easy
> to use crypto GUI for GnuPG.
>
> Best,
> Bernhard
>
>
> --
> www.intevation.de/~bernhard (CEO)www.fsfe.org (Founding GA Member)
> Intevation GmbH, Osnabrück, Germany; Amtsgericht Osnabrück, HRB 18998
> Owned and run by Frank Koormann, Bernhard Reiter, Dr. Jan-Oliver Wagner
>
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A better interface to the GnuPG-Framework (Re: EasyGnuPG)

[Bernhard Reiter]

On Tuesday 22 March 2016 at 15:14:41, Ben McGinnes wrote:
> You know what might, though, if someone were to take up the old GPA
> project perhaps ... maybe port it to GTK 3 or implement a Qt version.

We have just cleanup and simplified the structure of Kleopatra,
so that is making steps into the direction of the Qt5 version
you are thinking of. If you want to help improve a gui part 
Andre currently is hacking on Kleopatra, so that is a good chance
to test and give feedback about its user interface.

We want to know what it would take to make Kleo an easy
to use crypto GUI for GnuPG.

Best,
Bernhard


-- 
www.intevation.de/~bernhard (CEO)www.fsfe.org (Founding GA Member)
Intevation GmbH, Osnabrück, Germany; Amtsgericht Osnabrück, HRB 18998
Owned and run by Frank Koormann, Bernhard Reiter, Dr. Jan-Oliver Wagner


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