[Announce] Multiple Messages Problem in GnuPG and GPGME

[Alan Batie]

Werner Koch wrote:
> The correct way to use gpg with redirection is
> by taking care of the status interface:
> 
>   $ gpg --status-fd 1 <forged.gpg
>   [GNUPG:] PLAINTEXT 62 1172479053 foobar.txt
>   [GNUPG:] PLAINTEXT_LENGTH 36
>   This is my sneaky plaintext message
>   [GNUPG:] PLAINTEXT 62 1172480224 original-signed-message
>   [GNUPG:] PLAINTEXT_LENGTH 86
>   Either I'm dead or my watch has stopped.
>                   -- Groucho Marx's last words
>   gpg: Signature made Mon Feb 26 09:57:04 2007 CET using DSA key ID 68697734
>   [GNUPG:] SIG_ID UncMPBJYgbG/uszJVNKoCAz+hvY 2007-02-26 1172480224
>   [GNUPG:] GOODSIG 2D727CC768697734 Alfa Test (demo key) <alfa at example.net>
>   gpg: Good signature from "Alfa Test (demo key) <alfa at example.net>"
>   [...]
> 
> Here the PLAINTEXT status lines clearly identify the start of a new
> message.

"clearly"?  Only to a gnupg developer would this be "clearly".  Granted,
for the most part, the only people using pgp probably can interpret
this, but if you ever want non-techies to have any hope of using it,
this needs major improvement.  And I suspect even most technical people
would prefer something more readable...  How about:

$ gpg < forged.gpg
[GNUPG SEGMENT 1:] foobar.txt
---
This is my sneaky plaintext message
---
[GNUPG STATUS 1:] UNTRUSTED (unsigned, possibly forged)
===
[GNUPG SEGMENT 2:] original-signed-message
---
Either I'm dead or my watch has stopped.
                -- Groucho Marx's last words
---
[GNUPG SIG INFO 2:] Signature made Mon Feb 26 09:57:04 2007 CET using
DSA key ID 68697734
[GNUPG STATUS 2:] Good signature from "Alfa Test (demo key)
<alfa at example.net>"

Still parseable (which I assume is the reason for the crypticness), but
readable as well.

And for the developers who want more machine readable info:

$ gpg -v < forged.gpg
[GNUPG SEGMENT 1:] foobar.txt
[GNUPG DATA 1:] PLAINTEXT 62 1172479053 36 foobar.txt
---
This is my sneaky plaintext message
---
[GNUPG STATUS 1:] UNTRUSTED (unsigned, possibly forged)
===
[GNUPG SEGMENT 2:] original-signed-message
---
Either I'm dead or my watch has stopped.
                -- Groucho Marx's last words
---
[GNUPG SIG INFO 2:] Signature made Mon Feb 26 09:57:04 2007 CET using
DSA key ID 68697734
[GNUPG SIG_ID 2:] UncMPBJYgbG/uszJVNKoCAz+hvY 2007-02-26 1172480224
[GNUPG DATA 2:] GOODSIG 2D727CC768697734 Alfa Test (demo key)
<alfa at example.net>
[GNUPG STATUS 2:] Good signature from "Alfa Test (demo key)
<alfa at example.net>"
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