X-Git-Url: http://git.chise.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;h=81a94abea80d0851b38e0fabbb30586e43f8ca74;hb=3c0243c9e94a1185749b53a334b3358fa0d5bd8f;hp=ca53e4af93a09e23e8963d8841ef5f0daac3a362;hpb=2686e015c9a74089405b8a5198d8db9b381e70e2;p=elisp%2Fepg.git diff --git a/README b/README index ca53e4a..81a94ab 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,64 +1,53 @@ * 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 yet another GnuPG interface for Emacs. It consists of two parts: -* Requirements +- "The EasyPG Assistant" which provides basic GUI of GnuPG +- "The EasyPG Library" which enables use of various features of GnuPG + +NOTE: EasyPG is not a fork or a re-implementation of Gnus/PGG. -** GNU Emacs 21.4 or later +* Requirements -** XEmacs 21.4 or later +** GNU Emacs 21.4 or later, XEmacs 21.4 or later ** GnuPG 1.4.3 or later -** Gnus 5.10.8 or later (optional) - * Quick start -** Transparent file encryption utility +** Installation -EasyPG provides transparent file encryption utility similar to -crypt++, alpaca.el, hedgehog. To try this feature, add the following line to your ~/.emacs and C-x C-f ~/test.txt.gpg. + $ ./configure + $ sudo make install -(require 'epg-file) +Add the following line to your ~/.emacs -** Gnus/PGG backend + (require 'epa-setup) -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. +Then you can do some cryptographic operations on dired. -(setq pgg-scheme 'epg) + M-x dired + (mark some files) + : e (or M-x epg-dired-do-encrypt) + (select recipients and click [OK]) -* Advantages over other competitors +* Security consideration -There are many competitors of EasyPG such as Mailcrypt, PGG, gpg.el, -etc. EasyPG has some advantages over them. +** `call-process-region' writes data in region to a temporary file -** EasyPG avoides potential security flaws of Emacs. +`call-process-region' writes data in region to a temporary file. +EasyPG does *not* use `call-process-region' to communicate with a gpg +subprocess. -*** `call-process-region' writes data in region to temporary files. - -`call-process-region' writes data in region to temporary files. PGG -and gpg.el use `call-process-region' to communicate with a gpg -subprocess. Your passphrases leak to the filesystem! - -*** There is no way to clear strings safely. +** `(fillarray string 0)' is not enough to clear passphrases 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. It is recommended that as -soon as you are done with passphrase you should clear it manually. -However, PGG and gpg.el can keep passphrase strings in cache for a -while and this behavior is their default! - -** GnuPG features are directly accessible from Emacs - -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. +strings may be moved elsewhere in memory. + +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.