[kdepim-users] Can't set encryption key for contact

[Ingo Klöcker]

On Monday 17 May 2010, Pascal Bernhard wrote:
> On Monday 17 May 2010 22:35:21 Ingo Klöcker wrote:
> > Just to give a bit more details... (see below)
> > 
> > On Monday 17 May 2010, Anne Wilson wrote:
> > > On Monday 17 May 2010 00:07:52 Pascal Bernhard wrote:
> > > > Hey all,
> > > > 
> > > > I'm encountering the following problem with Kmail:
> > > > When trying to set the encryption preferences for my contacts
> > > > in the address book (of Kmail), I can see the available public
> > > > keys, but when I try to pick one, the button OK is not
> > > > activated. The keys have the trust level set to "Fully" via
> > > > Kgpg, though I have not signed them, as I do not know the
> > > > people that well.
> > 
> > It is a common misunderstanding to think that the trust level
> > refers to your trust in the key, but that's not what the trust
> > level refers to. The trust level (also called the "owner trust")
> > assigned to a key tells gpg how much you trust the owner of the
> > key with respect to signing other keys. Consequently, the trust
> > level does not have any influence on the validity of the
> > corresponding key. Instead it does influence the validity of other
> > keys signed with this key (or rather signed by the owner of this
> > key, hence "owner trust"). I hope this explanation was somewhat
> > understandable.
> > 
> > Given that you do not know the key owners very well you might want
> > to lower your trust in them. Otherwise, all keys signed by them
> > will automatically be valid for you now that you have locally
> > signed the keys.
> > 
> > > > The
> > > > encryption settings work well with an older contact, I already
> > > > sent encyrpted mails to, when still using Ubuntu 9.04 on my old
> > > > computer. I have switched to Debian Squeeze which comes with
> > > > Kmail 1.12.4 and KDE 4.3.4. Gnupg2 is version 2.0.14-1, Gnupg
> > > > 1.4.10-2 is also installed, but I cannot remove it, since this
> > > > would deinstall Akregator & Kontact too.
> > > > Any advice would be appreciated.
> > > 
> > > The fact that you are willing to exchange encrypted mail with a
> > > person denotes a certain level of trust, and gpg has a facility
> > > for this.  If you use
> > > 
> > > gpg --lsign-key xxxxxxxxx (the key's 8-character shortform)
> > > 
> > > it 'local-signs' the key.  A local-signed key of course should
> > > not be uploaded to a keyserver, as you are not in a position to
> > > guarantee to someone else that there has been adequate checking.
> > >  It should, though, satisfy the needs for signing and encrypting
> > > mail in KMail.
> > 
> > FWIW, uploading a local signature (which is also known as
> > non-exportable signature) is not easily possible (if it is
> > possible at all). Therefore, one does not need to worry that one
> > could upload a local signature accidentally.
> 
> Hi Ingo,
> 
> thank you for the explanation about trust levels. In fact, I wasn't
> aware about the implications of the trust level on other keys,
> having signed, the key I trust know. (Did I get that right? In
> short, with trusting the key I declare that I believe the trust
> others have set into the key owner in question is correct. Did I
> understand that right?). I guess, I will lower the trust level,
> though I have no reason to have any reservations towards the keys'
> owners. It's just that I do not know them personally, and did not
> want to sign something too rashly.

Yes, I think you got it right.


> Thanks a lot for all your help and clarifications,

My pleasure!


Regards,
Ingo
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