GENWiki

                  Guide to PGP Operations in a Secure Environment

The following document provides a series of notes and examples which are designed to help the PGP novice user to properly maintain and care for public keys in a secure environment using the PGP utility software.

Item Activity Operative Command Results/Disposition

No.  
     1 Install System                              Set DOS PATH command in
                                                   AUTOEXEC.BAT so that DOS can
                                                   always find PGP; Set the DOS

                                                   ENV variable TZ=-3 (EST). Set
                                                   the DOS Env. Variable PGPPATH
                                                   to the drive and sub-directory
                                                   where you have your keyrings.
                                                   This will make PGP available
                                                   all the time.

     2 REBOOT                Ctrl-Alt-Del          Required to make DOS Changes
                                                   (Item 1) work.

     3 Generate Secret Key   PGP -kg               System will create public and
                                                   private keyrings in
                                                   subdirectory specified by
                                                   PGPPATH as specified in (1)

     4 Create Public Key     PGP -kxa <user id>    This command will extract a
                             <keyfile>             "Public Key" from your keyring
                                                   and put it in <keyfile>.
                                                   Specify the <user id> to be
                                                   extracted.  To get ready to
                                                   send out you public key: give
                                                   your own user id. Save
                                                   <keyfile>.

     5 Note: At this point you can send a message to someone and include your
       Public Key.  After you have done that, then THEY will be able to send
       you a PGP crypted message.

     6 Received Message      Ah Ha!                Save this message.  You will
       containing Public                           need to process this using
       Key for a remote                            PGP, shortly.
       correspondent.

ACTIVITY EVENT ACTION TAKEN BY PGP

     7 Add Public Key(s) to  PGP <filename>        PGP will add any key(s) found
       your keyring                                in <filename> to your Keyring

                             New Key, without      PGP will ask if you want to
                             authenticating        Authenticate these keys.  You
                             signature(s)          would only do this if you have
                                                   personnally received the key
                                                   directly from a trusted
                                                   person.

                             New Key, with  Known  ?? Does PGP Authenticate the k
                             Authenticating
                             Signatures

                             New Key, with a bad ??
                             signature

                             New key with 1 good ??
                             and 1 bad signature

                             Existing key, with    PGP will check the new key to
                             no signature          be sure it matches the old key

                             New key matches       No action
                             existing key

                             New key not same as   ??
                             old key

**

END