Contents
What do you need to know about GnuPG?
GnuPG is a complete and free implementation of the OpenPGP standard as defined by RFC4880 (also known as PGP). GnuPG allows you to encrypt and sign your data and communications; it features a versatile key management system, along with access modules for all kinds of public key directories.
What kind of support does GnuPG have for SSH?
GnuPG also provides support for S/MIME and Secure Shell (ssh). Since its introduction in 1997, GnuPG is Free Software (meaning that it respects your freedom).
How are private keys kept secret in GnuPG?
GnuPG uses public-key cryptography so that users may communicate securely. In a public-key system, each user has a pair of keys consisting of a private key and a public key. A user’s private key is kept secret; it need never be revealed. The public key may be given to anyone with whom the user wants to communicate.
What are the different types of keypairs in GnuPG?
GnuPG uses a somewhat more sophisticated scheme in which a user has a primary keypair and then zero or more additional subordinate keypairs. The primary and subordinate keypairs are bundled to facilitate key management and the bundle can often be considered simply as one keypair.
How can PGP and OpenPGP be compatible?
PGP and openPGP use different encryption algorithms. As I understand, PGP uses IDEA to encrypt a message, then RSA to encrypt the IDEA key. If openPGP doesn’t use IDEA, how can it read PGP-encrypted messages? PGP is the application which implements OpenPGP standard and adds some proprietary extensions.
Which is the complete implementation of the OpenPGP standard?
GnuPG is a complete and free implementation of the OpenPGP standard as defined by RFC4880 (also known as PGP).
How to install GnuPG as a portable application?
To install GnuPG as a portable application under Windows, create an empty file named gpgconf.ctl in the same directory as the tool gpgconf.exe. The root of the installation is then that directory; or, if gpgconf.exe has been installed directly below a directory named bin, its parent directory.