ASCII encryption

ASCII encryption

[Richard H Lee]

Hi,

I'm using the EasyPG encryption to encrypt some of my files.

It currently encrypts them in binary. Is there any way to encrypt them 
using ascii (i think the option is armour with gpg)?


Richard

Re: ASCII encryption

[Bernardo]

It was a dark and stormy night when Richard H Lee said  (16/04/12 01:08):
> Hi,
> 
> I'm using the EasyPG encryption to encrypt some of my files.
> 
> It currently encrypts them in binary. Is there any way to encrypt them 
> using ascii (i think the option is armour with gpg)?
> 
> 
> Richard
> 
> 
there's a related epa-armor variable; (haven't tried it myself)

,----
| epa-armor is a variable defined in `epa.el'.
| Its value is nil
|
| Documentation:
| *If non-nil, epa commands create ASCII armored output.
|
| You should bind this variable with `let', but do not set it globally.
`----

Re: ASCII encryption

[Richard H Lee]

On 16/04/12 12:51, Bernardo wrote:
> there's a related epa-armor variable; (haven't tried it myself)
>
> ,----
> | epa-armor is a variable defined in `epa.el'.
> | Its value is nil
> |
> | Documentation:
> | *If non-nil, epa commands create ASCII armored output.
> |
> | You should bind this variable with `let', but do not set it globally.
> `----

Yes, thanks, I tried this out yesterday. It works.

However the EasyPG assistant integration with armor ascii files is not 
as nice with gpg binary files.

Re: ASCII encryption

[Jambunathan K]

Richard H Lee <ricardohenrylee@gmail.com> writes:

> On 16/04/12 12:51, Bernardo wrote:
>> there's a related epa-armor variable; (haven't tried it myself)
>>
>> ,----
>> | epa-armor is a variable defined in `epa.el'.
>> | Its value is nil
>> |
>> | Documentation:
>> | *If non-nil, epa commands create ASCII armored output.
>> |
>> | You should bind this variable with `let', but do not set it globally.
>> `----
>
> Yes, thanks, I tried this out yesterday. It works.
>
> However the EasyPG assistant integration with armor ascii files is not
> as nice with gpg binary files.

If `epa-armor' is not supported it should be removed or be made in to a
defconst.  Or it could be crptically renamed so that people don't
discover it accidentally.  The info manual can be augmented to mention
why the author thinks using it globally is not a good idea.

epa-armor is like the biblical forbidden fruit with hints of both
pleasure and pain.  The ultimate end it achieves is to leave mere
mortals in a state of perpetual confusion on private matters.
-- 

Re: ASCII encryption

[Richard H Lee]

On 16/04/12 15:18, Jambunathan K wrote:
> If `epa-armor' is not supported it should be removed or be made in to a
> defconst.  Or it could be crptically renamed so that people don't
> discover it accidentally.  The info manual can be augmented to mention
> why the author thinks using it globally is not a good idea.
>
> epa-armor is like the biblical forbidden fruit with hints of both
> pleasure and pain.  The ultimate end it achieves is to leave mere
> mortals in a state of perpetual confusion on private matters.

So I that (setq epa-armor t) in my emacs file is not a good idea?

Re: ASCII encryption

[Jambunathan K]

Richard H Lee <ricardohenrylee@gmail.com> writes:

> On 16/04/12 15:18, Jambunathan K wrote:
>> If `epa-armor' is not supported it should be removed or be made in to a
>> defconst.  Or it could be crptically renamed so that people don't
>> discover it accidentally.  The info manual can be augmented to mention
>> why the author thinks using it globally is not a good idea.
>>
>> epa-armor is like the biblical forbidden fruit with hints of both
>> pleasure and pain.  The ultimate end it achieves is to leave mere
>> mortals in a state of perpetual confusion on private matters.
>
> So I that (setq epa-armor t) in my emacs file is not a good idea?

That's what the last line of the docstring says.  It is confusing and
also scary.

,----[ C-h v epa-armor RET ]
| epa-armor is a variable defined in `epa.el'.
| Its value is nil
| 
| Documentation:
| *If non-nil, epa commands create ASCII armored output.
| 
| You should bind this variable with `let', but do not set it globally.
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
`----

Re: ASCII encryption

[Daiki Ueno]

Jambunathan K <kjambunathan@gmail.com> writes:

>>> epa-armor is like the biblical forbidden fruit with hints of both
>>> pleasure and pain.  The ultimate end it achieves is to leave mere
>>> mortals in a state of perpetual confusion on private matters.
>>
>> So I that (setq epa-armor t) in my emacs file is not a good idea?
>
> That's what the last line of the docstring says.  It is confusing and
> also scary.

> | You should bind this variable with `let', but do not set it globally.

I think it is normal as coding-system-for-write, etc.  What's the problem?

epa-encrypt-file could surely be improved for ASCII armor though.  One
idea is to query user with "Save File: " prompt and if the answer ends
with ".asc", encrypt in ASCII armor instead of binary.

Regards,
-- 
Daiki Ueno