PGP 5.x and GnuPG

[L. Sassaman]

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On Fri, 17 Mar 2000, Trevor Smith wrote:

> I've been reading through web resources on GnuPG and can't find a
> definitive answer to an issue that seems to me to be THE issue for
> any current PGP 5.x user interested in switching to GnuPG. The issue
> is basic interoperability between PGP and GnuPG and, I believe, is
> summed up in these four questions:
> 
> 1. Can GnuPG encrypt messages using a public key generated by PGP
> 5.x?

Yes.
 
> 2. Can PGP 5.x encrypt messages using a public key generated by
> GnuPG?

If is is a v3 key.
 
> 3. Can PGP 5.x verify the authenticity of messages which have been
> GnuPG signed?

""

> 4. Can GnuPG verify the authenticity of messages which have been PGP
> 5.x signed?

Yes.

> Also, do the answers to the above questions change if "PGP 5.x" is
> substituted with "even more recent versions of PGP"?

Yes. GnuPG and PGPcommandline 6.x and up all have the capability to
generate a more enhanced key format, which confuses PGP 5. Anyone using
PGP 5 should think about upgrading to PGP 6.5.2 or GnuPG 1.0.1, in order
to be fully compatable with today's keys, as well as take advantage of the
new features that these products offer.
 
> >From my readings on GnuPG and OpenPGP, I am guessing the answer to
> all the above questions is yes. However, it seems bizarre to me that
> nowhere in my reading did I find a statement similar to, "GnuPG is
> completely compatible with PGP 5.x." If this is the case, I think
> this should be the first piece of information in any GnuPG
> documentation.

The reason is mainly the v3 vs. v4 key types. Note that PGP5 is not
OpenPGP compliant.

> Am I missing something?
> 
> 
> -- 
>  Trevor Smith          |          trevor@haligonian.com
>  PGP public key available at: www.haligonian.com/trevor
> 
> PGP Public Key Fingerprint= A68C C4EC C163 5C0A 6CFA  671F 05D4 0B30 318B AFD6
> 
> 

__

L. Sassaman

System Administrator                |  "All of the chaos
Technology Consultant               |   Makes perfect sense..."
icq.. 10735603                      |
pgp.. finger://ns.quickie.net/rabbi |              --Joe Diffie



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