X-Git-Url: http://git.chise.org/gitweb/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;h=e231330cd6b256fdddcf68adf805ad03bd5bc6c7;hb=95ff40c9179c88308fe96e1adb0ef220b67f265c;hp=c370ac87003b607c1d56a6f7ad97f73f012a892d;hpb=afe1a4421ada9e44c87787257aad124648973e11;p=elisp%2Fepg.git diff --git a/README b/README index c370ac8..e231330 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,8 +1,8 @@ * What's this? -EasyPG is yet another GnuPG interface for Emacs. It consists of two -parts: transparent file encryption utility and easy-to-use elisp -library to interact with GnuPG. +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. * Requirements @@ -12,35 +12,60 @@ library to interact with GnuPG. ** GnuPG 1.4.3 or later +** Gnus 5.10.8 or later (optional) + * Quick start -(0) Put (require 'epg-file) in your ~/.emacs.el +** Installation + +$ ./configure +$ sudo make install + +** Transparent file encryption utility + +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. -(1) Restart emacs +(require 'epg-file) -(2) C-x C-f ~/test.gpg +** Gnus/PGG backend + +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. + +(setq pgg-scheme 'epg) * Advantages over other competitors -** EasyPG avoides potential security flaws of Emacs. +There are many competitors of EasyPG such as Mailcrypt, Gnus/PGG, +gpg.el, etc. EasyPG has some advantages over them. + +** EasyPG avoides potential security flaws of Emacs -*** `call-process-region' writes data in region to a temporary file. +*** `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 may leak to the filesystem. +`call-process-region' writes data in region to temporary files. +EasyPG do _not_ use `call-process-region' to communicate with a gpg +subprocess. -*** 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 with the core file. `read-passwd' function clears passphrase -strings by `(fillarray string 0)'. However, it is not perfect. Emacs -does compaction of small strings in gc_sweep phase. If GC happens -before `fillarray', passphrase strings may be copied elsewhere in -memory. So, it is recommended that if you are done with passphrase -you should clear it manually. However, PGG and gpg.el enables -passphrase caching by default. - -** Most GnuPG features are accessible from Emacs - -As the name indicates, EasyPG is inspired by GPGME (GnuPG Made Easy), -and the library interface is close to GPGME. +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. + +Fortunately, there is gpg-agent to cache passphrases in more secure +way, so EasyPG dares _not_ to cache passphrase. Elisp programs can +set `epg-context-passphrase-callback' to cache user's passphrases. + +** 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.