X-Git-Url: http://git.chise.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;h=30f6f0102526367247b7ec6f054b4d99d834eff4;hb=cfc87dbe5b4de5e0770c36553c6a44d4171d8bfc;hp=91cb7cd3c9a8c25195f9e77740c35bab526b3dd5;hpb=dc250f34d9659836694d49f782b57607b35a2276;p=elisp%2Fepg.git diff --git a/README b/README index 91cb7cd..30f6f01 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,75 +1,97 @@ * What's this? -EasyPG is yet another GnuPG interface for Emacs. It consists of three -parts: transparent file encryption utility, Gnus/PGG backend, and -elisp library to interact with GnuPG. +EasyPG is a GnuPG interface for Emacs. It has two aspects: convenient +tools which allow to use GnuPG from Emacs (EasyPG Assistant), and a +fully functional interface library to GnuPG (EasyPG Library.) * Requirements -** GNU Emacs 21.4 or later, XEmacs 21.4 or later +** GNU Emacs 21.4 or XEmacs 21.4 -** GnuPG 1.4.3 or later - -** Gnus 5.10.8 or later (optional) +** GnuPG 1.4.3 * Quick start ** Installation -$ ./configure -$ sudo make install + $ ./configure + $ sudo make install + +Add the following line to your ~/.emacs + + (require 'epa-setup) + +Then you can browse your keyring by `M-x epa-list-keys'. In addition, +you can do some cryptographic operations on dired. + + M-x dired + (mark some files) + : e (or M-x epa-dired-do-encrypt) + (select recipients by 'm' and click [OK]) + +* MUA Integration + +The EasyPG Library can be used in combination with various MUA (Mail +User Agents.) + +** CVS version of Gnus + +CVS version of Gnus supports EasyPG natively, simply put the following +line into your ~/.emacs. -** Transparent file encryption utility + (setq mml2015-use 'epg) -EasyPG provides transparent file encryption utility similar to -crypt++, alpaca.el, hedgehog. To try this, add the following line to -your ~/.emacs and C-x C-f ~/test.txt.gpg. +Other options which affect on the binding are -(require 'epf) + mml2015-signers + mml2015-encrypt-to-self + mml2015-cache-passphrase + mml2015-passphrase-cache-expiry + mml2015-verbose -** Gnus/PGG backend +NOTE: You need not to install pgg-epg.el in this case. -EasyPG provides an implementation of the backend interface of -Gnus/PGG. To use EasyPG instead of pgg-gpg, install pgg-epg.el and -add the following line to your ~/.gnus. +** PGG based MUA -(setq pgg-scheme 'epg) +PGG is somewhat outdated PGP library used by old Gnus, MH-E, etc. -* Advantages over other competitors +There is a PGG backend using EasyPG called pgg-epg.el. However, +EasyPG API is a superset of PGG, so pgg-epg.el just emulates the old +behavior of pgg.el. Major features which PGG lacks are -There are many competitors of EasyPG such as Mailcrypt, Gnus/PGG, -gpg.el, etc. EasyPG has some advantages over them. +- Key selection user interface +- Diagnosis interface to the verify operation +- Web of trust +- S/MIME using gpgsm -** EasyPG avoides potential security flaws of Emacs +** SEMI based MUA -See "Security consideration" section. +SEMI is the MIME library used by Wanderlust, cmail, T-gnus, etc. -** GnuPG features are directly accessible from Emacs +There is an EasyPG capable SEMI library called EMIKO-EasyPG. It can +be downloaded from the same site of the EasyPG distribution point. -Other competitors provide only specific features of GnuPG since they -still support PGP 2.*, 5.*, 6.*. As the name indicates, EasyPG is -inspired by GPGME (GnuPG Made Easy), and the library interface is -close to GPGME. With EasyPG you can benefit from a lot of features of -GnuPG. +* Security -* Security consideration +There are security pitfalls around Emacs. -** `call-process-region' writes data in region to a temporary file +** Passphrase may leak to a temporary file. -`call-process-region' writes data in region to a temporary file. -EasyPG does *not* use `call-process-region' to communicate with a gpg -subprocess. +The function call-process-region writes data in region to a temporary +file. If your PGP library used this function, your passphrases would +leak to the filesystem. -** `(fillarray string 0)' is not enough to clear passphrases +The EasyPG Library does not use call-process-region to communicate +with a gpg subprocess. -If Emacs crashed and dumps core, passphrase strings in memory are also -dumped within the core file. `read-passwd' function clears passphrase -strings by `(fillarray string 0)'. However, Emacs performs compaction -in gc_sweep phase. If GC happens before `fillarray', passphrase -strings may be moved elsewhere in memory. +** Passphrase may be stolen from a core file. -Fortunately, there is gpg-agent to cache passphrases in more secure -way, so the EasyPG library dares *not* to cache passphrase by itself. -Elisp programs can set `epg-context-passphrase-callback' to cache -user's passphrases. +If Emacs crashes and dumps core, Lisp strings in memory are also +dumped within the core file. read-passwd function clears passphrase +strings by (fillarray string 0) to avoid this risk. However, Emacs +performs compaction in gc_sweep phase. If GC happens before fillarray, +passphrase strings may be moved elsewhere in memory. Therefore, +passphrase caching in elisp is generally a bad idea. +The EasyPG Library dares to disable passphrase caching. Fortunately, +there is more secure way to cache passphrases - use gpg-agent.