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annotate doc/misc/pgg.texi @ 98705:af39dbfa0fda
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author | Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> |
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date | Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:39:50 +0000 |
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3 @setfilename ../../info/pgg |
84310 | 4 |
5 @set VERSION 0.1 | |
6 | |
7 | |
8 @copying | |
9 This file describes PGG, an Emacs interface to various PGP implementations. | |
10 | |
87903 | 11 Copyright @copyright{} 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
12 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
84310 | 13 |
14 @quotation | |
15 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document | |
16 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or | |
17 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no | |
95981 | 18 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,'' |
19 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license | |
20 is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License.'' | |
21 | |
22 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and | |
23 modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in | |
24 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.'' | |
84310 | 25 @end quotation |
26 @end copying | |
27 | |
28 @dircategory Emacs | |
29 @direntry | |
30 * PGG: (pgg). Emacs interface to various PGP implementations. | |
31 @end direntry | |
32 | |
33 @settitle PGG @value{VERSION} | |
34 | |
35 | |
36 @titlepage | |
37 @title PGG | |
38 | |
39 @author by Daiki Ueno | |
40 @page | |
41 | |
42 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll | |
43 @insertcopying | |
44 @end titlepage | |
45 @page | |
46 | |
47 @node Top | |
48 @top PGG | |
49 This manual describes PGG. PGG is an interface library between Emacs | |
50 and various tools for secure communication. PGG also provides a simple | |
51 user interface to encrypt, decrypt, sign, and verify MIME messages. | |
52 | |
53 @menu | |
54 * Overview:: What PGG is. | |
55 * Prerequisites:: Complicated stuff you may have to do. | |
56 * How to use:: Getting started quickly. | |
57 * Architecture:: | |
58 * Parsing OpenPGP packets:: | |
59 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation. | |
60 * Function Index:: | |
61 * Variable Index:: | |
62 @end menu | |
63 | |
64 @node Overview | |
65 @chapter Overview | |
66 | |
67 PGG is an interface library between Emacs and various tools for secure | |
68 communication. Even though Mailcrypt has similar feature, it does not | |
69 deal with detached PGP messages, normally used in PGP/MIME | |
70 infrastructure. This was the main reason why I wrote the new library. | |
71 | |
72 PGP/MIME is an application of MIME Object Security Services (RFC1848). | |
73 The standard is documented in RFC2015. | |
74 | |
75 @node Prerequisites | |
76 @chapter Prerequisites | |
77 | |
78 PGG requires at least one implementation of privacy guard system. | |
79 This document assumes that you have already obtained and installed them | |
80 and that you are familiar with its basic functions. | |
81 | |
82 By default, PGG uses GnuPG. If you are new to such a system, I | |
83 recommend that you should look over the GNU Privacy Handbook (GPH) | |
84 which is available at @uref{http://www.gnupg.org/documentation/}. | |
85 | |
86 When using GnuPG, we recommend the use of the @code{gpg-agent} | |
87 program, which is distributed with versions 2.0 and later of GnuPG. | |
88 This is a daemon to manage private keys independently from any | |
89 protocol, and provides the most secure way to input and cache your | |
90 passphrases (@pxref{Caching passphrase}). By default, PGG will | |
91 attempt to use @code{gpg-agent} if it is running. @xref{Invoking | |
92 GPG-AGENT,,,gnupg,Using the GNU Privacy Guard}. | |
93 | |
94 PGG also supports Pretty Good Privacy version 2 or version 5. | |
95 | |
96 @node How to use | |
97 @chapter How to use | |
98 | |
99 The toplevel interface of this library is quite simple, and only | |
100 intended to use with public-key cryptographic operation. | |
101 | |
102 To use PGG, evaluate following expression at the beginning of your | |
103 application program. | |
104 | |
105 @lisp | |
106 (require 'pgg) | |
107 @end lisp | |
108 | |
109 If you want to check existence of pgg.el at runtime, instead you can | |
110 list autoload setting for desired functions as follows. | |
111 | |
112 @lisp | |
113 (autoload 'pgg-encrypt-region "pgg" | |
114 "Encrypt the current region." t) | |
115 (autoload 'pgg-encrypt-symmetric-region "pgg" | |
116 "Encrypt the current region with symmetric algorithm." t) | |
117 (autoload 'pgg-decrypt-region "pgg" | |
118 "Decrypt the current region." t) | |
119 (autoload 'pgg-sign-region "pgg" | |
120 "Sign the current region." t) | |
121 (autoload 'pgg-verify-region "pgg" | |
122 "Verify the current region." t) | |
123 (autoload 'pgg-insert-key "pgg" | |
124 "Insert the ASCII armored public key." t) | |
125 (autoload 'pgg-snarf-keys-region "pgg" | |
126 "Import public keys in the current region." t) | |
127 @end lisp | |
128 | |
129 @menu | |
130 * User Commands:: | |
131 * Selecting an implementation:: | |
132 * Caching passphrase:: | |
133 * Default user identity:: | |
134 @end menu | |
135 | |
136 @node User Commands | |
137 @section User Commands | |
138 | |
139 At this time you can use some cryptographic commands. The behavior of | |
140 these commands relies on a fashion of invocation because they are also | |
141 intended to be used as library functions. In case you don't have the | |
142 signer's public key, for example, the function @code{pgg-verify-region} | |
143 fails immediately, but if the function had been called interactively, it | |
144 would ask you to retrieve the signer's public key from the server. | |
145 | |
146 @deffn Command pgg-encrypt-region start end recipients &optional sign passphrase | |
147 Encrypt the current region between @var{start} and @var{end} for | |
148 @var{recipients}. When the function were called interactively, you | |
149 would be asked about the recipients. | |
150 | |
151 If encryption is successful, it replaces the current region contents (in | |
152 the accessible portion) with the resulting data. | |
153 | |
154 If optional argument @var{sign} is non-@code{nil}, the function is | |
155 request to do a combined sign and encrypt. This currently is | |
156 confirmed to work with GnuPG, but might not work with PGP or PGP5. | |
157 | |
158 If optional @var{passphrase} is @code{nil}, the passphrase will be | |
159 obtained from the passphrase cache or user. | |
160 @end deffn | |
161 | |
162 @deffn Command pgg-encrypt-symmetric-region &optional start end passphrase | |
163 Encrypt the current region between @var{start} and @var{end} using a | |
164 symmetric cipher. After invocation you are asked for a passphrase. | |
165 | |
166 If optional @var{passphrase} is @code{nil}, the passphrase will be | |
167 obtained from the passphrase cache or user. | |
168 | |
169 symmetric-cipher encryption is currently only implemented for GnuPG. | |
170 @end deffn | |
171 | |
172 @deffn Command pgg-decrypt-region start end &optional passphrase | |
173 Decrypt the current region between @var{start} and @var{end}. If | |
174 decryption is successful, it replaces the current region contents (in | |
175 the accessible portion) with the resulting data. | |
176 | |
177 If optional @var{passphrase} is @code{nil}, the passphrase will be | |
178 obtained from the passphrase cache or user. | |
179 @end deffn | |
180 | |
181 @deffn Command pgg-sign-region start end &optional cleartext passphrase | |
182 Make the signature from text between @var{start} and @var{end}. If the | |
183 optional third argument @var{cleartext} is non-@code{nil}, or the | |
184 function is called interactively, it does not create a detached | |
185 signature. In such a case, it replaces the current region contents (in | |
186 the accessible portion) with the resulting data. | |
187 | |
188 If optional @var{passphrase} is @code{nil}, the passphrase will be | |
189 obtained from the passphrase cache or user. | |
190 @end deffn | |
191 | |
192 @deffn Command pgg-verify-region start end &optional signature fetch | |
193 Verify the current region between @var{start} and @var{end}. If the | |
194 optional third argument @var{signature} is non-@code{nil}, it is treated | |
195 as the detached signature file of the current region. | |
196 | |
197 If the optional 4th argument @var{fetch} is non-@code{nil}, or the | |
198 function is called interactively, we attempt to fetch the signer's | |
199 public key from the key server. | |
200 @end deffn | |
201 | |
202 @deffn Command pgg-insert-key | |
203 Retrieve the user's public key and insert it as ASCII-armored format. | |
204 @end deffn | |
205 | |
206 @deffn Command pgg-snarf-keys-region start end | |
207 Collect public keys in the current region between @var{start} and | |
208 @var{end}, and add them into the user's keyring. | |
209 @end deffn | |
210 | |
211 @node Selecting an implementation | |
212 @section Selecting an implementation | |
213 | |
214 Since PGP has a long history and there are a number of PGP | |
215 implementations available today, the function which each one has differs | |
216 considerably. For example, if you are using GnuPG, you know you can | |
217 select cipher algorithm from 3DES, CAST5, BLOWFISH, and so on, but on | |
218 the other hand the version 2 of PGP only supports IDEA. | |
219 | |
220 Which implementation is used is controlled by the @code{pgg-scheme} | |
221 variable. If it is @code{nil} (the default), the value of the | |
222 @code{pgg-default-scheme} variable will be used instead. | |
223 | |
224 @defvar pgg-scheme | |
225 Force specify the scheme of PGP implementation. The value can be set to | |
226 @code{gpg}, @code{pgp}, and @code{pgp5}. The default is @code{nil}. | |
227 @end defvar | |
228 | |
229 @defvar pgg-default-scheme | |
230 The default scheme of PGP implementation. The value should be one of | |
231 @code{gpg}, @code{pgp}, and @code{pgp5}. The default is @code{gpg}. | |
232 @end defvar | |
233 | |
234 @node Caching passphrase | |
235 @section Caching passphrase | |
236 | |
237 When using GnuPG (gpg) as the PGP scheme, we recommend using a program | |
238 called @code{gpg-agent} for entering and caching | |
239 passphrases@footnote{Actually, @code{gpg-agent} does not cache | |
240 passphrases but private keys. On the other hand, from a user's point | |
241 of view, this technical difference isn't visible.}. | |
242 | |
243 @defvar pgg-gpg-use-agent | |
244 If non-@code{nil}, attempt to use @code{gpg-agent} whenever possible. | |
245 The default is @code{t}. If @code{gpg-agent} is not running, or GnuPG | |
246 is not the current PGP scheme, PGG's own passphrase-caching mechanism | |
247 is used (see below). | |
248 @end defvar | |
249 | |
250 To use @code{gpg-agent} with PGG, you must first ensure that | |
251 @code{gpg-agent} is running. For example, if you are running in the X | |
252 Window System, you can do this by putting the following line in your | |
253 @file{.xsession} file: | |
254 | |
255 @smallexample | |
256 eval "$(gpg-agent --daemon)" | |
257 @end smallexample | |
258 | |
259 For more details on invoking @code{gpg-agent}, @xref{Invoking | |
260 GPG-AGENT,,,gnupg,Using the GNU Privacy Guard}. | |
261 | |
262 Whenever you perform a PGG operation that requires a GnuPG passphrase, | |
263 GnuPG will contact @code{gpg-agent}, which prompts you for the | |
264 passphrase. Furthermore, @code{gpg-agent} ``caches'' the result, so | |
265 that subsequent uses will not require you to enter the passphrase | |
266 again. (This cache usually expires after a certain time has passed; | |
267 you can change this using the @code{--default-cache-ttl} option when | |
268 invoking @code{gpg-agent}.) | |
269 | |
270 If you are running in a X Window System environment, @code{gpg-agent} | |
271 prompts for a passphrase by opening a graphical window. However, if | |
272 you are running Emacs on a text terminal, @code{gpg-agent} has trouble | |
273 receiving input from the terminal, since it is being sent to Emacs. | |
274 One workaround for this problem is to run @code{gpg-agent} on a | |
275 different terminal from Emacs, with the @code{--keep-tty} option; this | |
276 tells @code{gpg-agent} use its own terminal to prompt for passphrases. | |
277 | |
278 When @code{gpg-agent} is not being used, PGG prompts for a passphrase | |
279 through Emacs. It also has its own passphrase caching mechanism, | |
280 which is controlled by the variable @code{pgg-cache-passphrase} (see | |
281 below). | |
282 | |
283 There is a security risk in handling passphrases through PGG rather | |
284 than @code{gpg-agent}. When you enter your passphrase into an Emacs | |
285 prompt, it is temporarily stored as a cleartext string in the memory | |
286 of the Emacs executable. If the executable memory is swapped to disk, | |
287 the root user can, in theory, extract the passphrase from the | |
288 swapfile. Furthermore, the swapfile containing the cleartext | |
289 passphrase might remain on the disk after the system is discarded or | |
290 stolen. @code{gpg-agent} avoids this problem by using certain tricks, | |
291 such as memory locking, which have not been implemented in Emacs. | |
292 | |
293 @defvar pgg-cache-passphrase | |
294 If non-@code{nil}, store passphrases. The default value of this | |
295 variable is @code{t}. If you are worried about security issues, | |
296 however, you could stop the caching of passphrases by setting this | |
297 variable to @code{nil}. | |
298 @end defvar | |
299 | |
300 @defvar pgg-passphrase-cache-expiry | |
301 Elapsed time for expiration in seconds. | |
302 @end defvar | |
303 | |
304 If your passphrase contains non-ASCII characters, you might need to | |
305 specify the coding system to be used to encode your passphrases, since | |
306 GnuPG treats them as a byte sequence, not as a character sequence. | |
307 | |
308 @defvar pgg-passphrase-coding-system | |
309 Coding system used to encode passphrase. | |
310 @end defvar | |
311 | |
312 @node Default user identity | |
313 @section Default user identity | |
314 | |
315 The PGP implementation is usually able to select the proper key to use | |
316 for signing and decryption, but if you have more than one key, you may | |
317 need to specify the key id to use. | |
318 | |
319 @defvar pgg-default-user-id | |
320 User ID of your default identity. It defaults to the value returned | |
321 by @samp{(user-login-name)}. You can customize this variable. | |
322 @end defvar | |
323 | |
324 @defvar pgg-gpg-user-id | |
325 User ID of the GnuPG default identity. It defaults to @samp{nil}. | |
326 This overrides @samp{pgg-default-user-id}. You can customize this | |
327 variable. | |
328 @end defvar | |
329 | |
330 @defvar pgg-pgp-user-id | |
331 User ID of the PGP 2.x/6.x default identity. It defaults to | |
332 @samp{nil}. This overrides @samp{pgg-default-user-id}. You can | |
333 customize this variable. | |
334 @end defvar | |
335 | |
336 @defvar pgg-pgp5-user-id | |
337 User ID of the PGP 5.x default identity. It defaults to @samp{nil}. | |
338 This overrides @samp{pgg-default-user-id}. You can customize this | |
339 variable. | |
340 @end defvar | |
341 | |
342 @node Architecture | |
343 @chapter Architecture | |
344 | |
345 PGG introduces the notion of a "scheme of PGP implementation" (used | |
346 interchangeably with "scheme" in this document). This term refers to a | |
347 singleton object wrapped with the luna object system. | |
348 | |
349 Since PGG was designed for accessing and developing PGP functionality, | |
350 the architecture had to be designed not just for interoperability but | |
351 also for extensiblity. In this chapter we explore the architecture | |
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352 while finding out how to write the PGG back end. |
84310 | 353 |
354 @menu | |
355 * Initializing:: | |
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356 * Back end methods:: |
84310 | 357 * Getting output:: |
358 @end menu | |
359 | |
360 @node Initializing | |
361 @section Initializing | |
362 | |
363 A scheme must be initialized before it is used. | |
364 It had better guarantee to keep only one instance of a scheme. | |
365 | |
366 The following code is snipped out of @file{pgg-gpg.el}. Once an | |
367 instance of @code{pgg-gpg} scheme is initialized, it's stored to the | |
368 variable @code{pgg-scheme-gpg-instance} and will be reused from now on. | |
369 | |
370 @lisp | |
371 (defvar pgg-scheme-gpg-instance nil) | |
372 | |
373 (defun pgg-make-scheme-gpg () | |
374 (or pgg-scheme-gpg-instance | |
375 (setq pgg-scheme-gpg-instance | |
376 (luna-make-entity 'pgg-scheme-gpg)))) | |
377 @end lisp | |
378 | |
379 The name of the function must follow the | |
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380 regulation---@code{pgg-make-scheme-} follows the back end name. |
84310 | 381 |
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382 @node Back end methods |
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383 @section Back end methods |
84310 | 384 |
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385 In each back end, these methods must be present. The output of these |
84310 | 386 methods is stored in special buffers (@ref{Getting output}), so that |
387 these methods must tell the status of the execution. | |
388 | |
389 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-lookup-key scheme string &optional type | |
390 Return keys associated with @var{string}. If the optional third | |
391 argument @var{type} is non-@code{nil}, it searches from the secret | |
392 keyrings. | |
393 @end deffn | |
394 | |
395 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-encrypt-region scheme start end recipients &optional sign passphrase | |
396 Encrypt the current region between @var{start} and @var{end} for | |
397 @var{recipients}. If @var{sign} is non-@code{nil}, do a combined sign | |
398 and encrypt. If encryption is successful, it returns @code{t}, | |
399 otherwise @code{nil}. | |
400 @end deffn | |
401 | |
402 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-encrypt-symmetric-region scheme start end &optional passphrase | |
403 Encrypt the current region between @var{start} and @var{end} using a | |
404 symmetric cipher and a passphrases. If encryption is successful, it | |
405 returns @code{t}, otherwise @code{nil}. This function is currently only | |
406 implemented for GnuPG. | |
407 @end deffn | |
408 | |
409 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-decrypt-region scheme start end &optional passphrase | |
410 Decrypt the current region between @var{start} and @var{end}. If | |
411 decryption is successful, it returns @code{t}, otherwise @code{nil}. | |
412 @end deffn | |
413 | |
414 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-sign-region scheme start end &optional cleartext passphrase | |
415 Make the signature from text between @var{start} and @var{end}. If the | |
416 optional third argument @var{cleartext} is non-@code{nil}, it does not | |
417 create a detached signature. If signing is successful, it returns | |
418 @code{t}, otherwise @code{nil}. | |
419 @end deffn | |
420 | |
421 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-verify-region scheme start end &optional signature | |
422 Verify the current region between @var{start} and @var{end}. If the | |
423 optional third argument @var{signature} is non-@code{nil}, it is treated | |
424 as the detached signature of the current region. If the signature is | |
425 successfully verified, it returns @code{t}, otherwise @code{nil}. | |
426 @end deffn | |
427 | |
428 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-insert-key scheme | |
429 Retrieve the user's public key and insert it as ASCII-armored format. | |
430 On success, it returns @code{t}, otherwise @code{nil}. | |
431 @end deffn | |
432 | |
433 @deffn Method pgg-scheme-snarf-keys-region scheme start end | |
434 Collect public keys in the current region between @var{start} and | |
435 @var{end}, and add them into the user's keyring. | |
436 On success, it returns @code{t}, otherwise @code{nil}. | |
437 @end deffn | |
438 | |
439 @node Getting output | |
440 @section Getting output | |
441 | |
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442 The output of the back end methods (@ref{Back end methods}) is stored in |
84310 | 443 special buffers, so that these methods must tell the status of the |
444 execution. | |
445 | |
446 @defvar pgg-errors-buffer | |
447 The standard error output of the execution of the PGP command is stored | |
448 here. | |
449 @end defvar | |
450 | |
451 @defvar pgg-output-buffer | |
452 The standard output of the execution of the PGP command is stored here. | |
453 @end defvar | |
454 | |
455 @defvar pgg-status-buffer | |
456 The rest of status information of the execution of the PGP command is | |
457 stored here. | |
458 @end defvar | |
459 | |
460 @node Parsing OpenPGP packets | |
461 @chapter Parsing OpenPGP packets | |
462 | |
463 The format of OpenPGP messages is maintained in order to publish all | |
464 necessary information needed to develop interoperable applications. | |
465 The standard is documented in RFC 2440. | |
466 | |
467 PGG has its own parser for the OpenPGP packets. | |
468 | |
469 @defun pgg-parse-armor string | |
470 List the sequence of packets in @var{string}. | |
471 @end defun | |
472 | |
473 @defun pgg-parse-armor-region start end | |
474 List the sequence of packets in the current region between @var{start} | |
475 and @var{end}. | |
476 @end defun | |
477 | |
478 @defvar pgg-ignore-packet-checksum | |
479 If non-@code{nil}, don't check the checksum of the packets. | |
480 @end defvar | |
481 | |
482 @node GNU Free Documentation License | |
483 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License | |
484 @include doclicense.texi | |
485 | |
486 @node Function Index | |
487 @unnumbered Function Index | |
488 @printindex fn | |
489 | |
490 @node Variable Index | |
491 @unnumbered Variable Index | |
492 @printindex vr | |
493 | |
494 @summarycontents | |
495 @contents | |
496 @bye | |
497 | |
498 @c End: | |
499 | |
500 @ignore | |
501 arch-tag: 0c205838-34b9-41a5-b9d7-49ae57ccac85 | |
502 @end ignore |