GNU Privacy Guard - Installation on Windoze poorly explained

[Janus Christensen]

Disclaimer: I have never used GnuPG on Windows.


On Wed, 2001-12-05 at 20:15, Peter Lairo wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I wanted to install GNU Privacy Guard on my WinNT PC. I read the 
> "Readme.w32" in the ZIP file. I got stuck on Step 4 of the "Installation 
> instructions:":
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Here is the vague text for reference:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 4. If you did not use the default directory "c:\gnupg", you
>    should enter a string with the directory into the Registry
>    under the key:
>     \\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\GnuPG\HomeDir
>    Please use forward slashes and not the backslashes when
>    setting filenames for GnuPG into the Registry.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> A. It doesn't state * where* exactly in the registry the string should 
> be entered (in left pane, or under "Name", or under "Value").

The "HomeDir" component of the above registry key is "Name"

> B. should the directory path end with a "\" or not?


Guess not. If your default directory is "c:\mydir\gnupg" you should
enter

  c:/mydir/gnupg

as the value for "HomeDir".

> C. Is "HomeDir" to be * replaced* by the actual directory path, or 
> should one replace the path under "name", under "value" (DE = "Wert")? 
> Under the Name = "Standard", or does one create a new Name? What should 
> the name of the new Name be?

See my answer to A.


> D. At which location exactly does one use forward slashes?

See my answer to A.


> E. What does "setting filenames" mean?

That would be a general term, I guess; supposedly there are other
registry keys for GnuPG which have filenames as their value.


> F. An *example * of a correct registry entry in the rteadme file would 
> have solved all problems.

Well maybe not *all* problems, but this one, yes.   .-)


> G. Step 5 says: "Enter "gpg" and see what happens". I doubleclicked on 
> "gpg.exe" in the install directory and only got a DOS window asking me 
> to type something - very unimpressive, and defietely not what I was 
> hoping to get out of this; namely the ability to encrypt emails using 
> Mozilla (and the "enigmail" module - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/ ).

Well, you really should use GnuPG from a prompt, since it is a command
line tool, and as such does not provide a GUI. There are, however, GUI
front ends for GnuPG out there. I am sure that other listmembers can
provide you with pointers for those and for using GnuPG with Mozilla.


> Please provide usable instructions and reply to me directly. I would be 
> very happy to use and evangelize this useful-sounding tool (if it works 
> on windoze machines).

I hope this helps, and best of luck with the evangelization.

Regards,
-- 
Janus Christensen ______________________________________________________
I want something that'll give me the stamina of a young werewolf, the
vision of a shaman, the thoughts of a serial killer and the gentleness
of a hungry vampire bat.  --  Spider Jerusalem, Transmetropolitan