Silk Road forums
Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: jurist on August 15, 2013, 12:52 pm
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Hi, I am trying to learn how to use PGP. I am using Tails OS and I know it comes with a native PGP applet.
Can someone please walk me through the basics of PGP. I know some communicators offer their PGP key and I don't know what to do with it.
Please Help, & Thank You
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Hello Jurist,
I'll outline how to use the PGP in Tails. If you want to know more about PGP and its intricacies, you should probably check out ol' mate google.
Creating your own key;
1. Top right hand corner status bar, click the Clipboard and click 'Manage Keys'
- A window called 'Passwords and Encryption Keys' will open
2. Click file -> 'New...' -> PGP Key
3. Enter details as appropriate (I'm not sure if I need to say this, don't use real details, even the e-mail doesn't have to be real)
4. Make your passphrase annoyingly long and be sure to include all the characters you can eg 'JFodh39t734@@945uf8**49y&5393!*kas' (for the love of god dont use this...) The longer the better but you should be good with ~32 characters
5. Tada! you've got yourself a PGP encryption key.
So you've found a vendor, you dig them and you'd love to make a purchase. You see that they have listed a PGP Public key and you know, from your avid research on the forums, that you are most certainly going to use this key to encrypt your address, unless your parents are closely related.
What to do;
It depends lightly on what sort of Tails your running, CD with external encrypted volume on USB (most secure [for tails]) or USB with a persistent volume.
Ideally though, you'll want to be keeping a folder of the keys you use most often.
Saving a key;
This is my favourite way that I think is easiest
1. Applications -> Accessories -> gedit Text Editor
2. Copy key from vendor page, everything from the ...------BEGIN.... to ....BLOCK-----
3. Paste into new document in text editor
4. Save as...
5. Chose a name, the volume you'd like to save to (your encrypted volume or persistent) and save as "NAMEOFYOURCHOICE.asc"
6. Don't forget the .asc
7. Save
8. Close the text editor, double click the saved file and tails will automatically load it to the PGP applet.
9. Hurrah!
Writing and encrypting a message;
1. Open gedit Text Editor as above
2. Write your details
3. Copy your details (highlight and press ctrl+C)
4. Click the Clipboard, top right hand corner of your status bar
5. Select "Sign/Encrypt clipboard with public keys'
6. Chose the key to which you would like to send the message (vendor key)
- Your clipboard is now encrypted, whenever you paste (ctrl+V) the info will come out encrypted
7. Paste clipboard into address details section of order form
8. Wait anxiously for your package to arrive
9. Enjoy immensely, the products you have purchased!!
Have an encrpyted discussion with vendor;
1. Open 'Manage Keys' as above
2. Click 'Personal Keys' Tab
3. Right click the key that you want to use and click 'Export'
4. save file as instructed
5. Right click file -> click Open with -> gedit text editor
6. Highlight public key
7. copy
8. open message to vendor in SR, Paste
I hope this is all the info you need. As you can see, it's quite cumbersome and if you have a look around these forums you may find other solutions that are not native to tails.
If you'd like to test your new-found PGPing skills, hit me up with a PM and we'll see if we can sort something out.
Until then, enjoy yourself and be safe,
Annex
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That was very nice of you annex, good tutorial too!
One thing, the op would need to know how to keep his key persistent.
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I miss Hitch
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Thanks so much!!! Using Tails with PGP is more complicated than some of the other programs out there but works pretty well when you get the method down. Using Tails any other tips and tricks to stay safe on SR
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I got a few more questions after this so I figured I'd post them here;
1. - "I am not sure if my setup is persistant or not (nor do I know the difference.) I am guessing however, is that a persistant drive would allow me to save the asc files onto the drive permantly. I do not think I can do this now, as I've tried. Or, I may not be doing the process properly."
2. - "If I wanted to post a public key, how does that work?"
3. - "Will I have to repeat the creation of a key every time or can I save it or re-access it?"
Persistent Volume
So, you've booted Tails, you've got your PGP key set up, you've made friends, you bought you vices and you shut down, happy with a good day's work. The next day, you log back in and everything is gone, your Key, your friend's Key etc. Dang! you have to go and do it all again
Luckily, Tails is set up to help you out here using something called a persistent volume. A persistent volume, as you may have guessed... is persistent. That is, it hangs around like a bad (or good) smell and 'all that once was, shalle be again whenst you reboote tailes'
The PV will allow you to save things that will not be wiped when you boot down like your keys and anyhing else you choose. It can only be set up when using a USB boot and is notoriously difficult (read: impossible) to keep stable when using a mac. If you are using a mac, just stop here and use a CD boot and a separate, non-persistent usb to store your encrypted volume
To set it up do as follows;
1. Top right hand corner 'Applications' -> 'Tails' -> 'Configure Persistent Volume'
2. follow prompts, select everything to save there
3. set a really really really really really good password
4. reboot and Tails will ask if you would like to boot with Persistent volume,
Now, everything you selected to save to your persistent volume in step 2. will save to the volume automatically (PGP keys, pidgin contacts, other cool stuff)
you can also save files of your liking to the drive, it can be found in by selecting
1. Top right Corner 'Places' -> 'Persistent'
simple as pie!
The instructions to post a public key are the same as 'Have an encrypted discussion with a vendor". You can also go to
1. 'Manage keys' screen (see post above)
2. 'Personal Keys' tab
3. right click key you would like to post
4. Click copy
5. Paste where you would like to post your public key
In regards to re-accessing your key, you can use the "Saving a key" instructions in the post above, or set up persistence and not have to worry about it :)
Hope this helps,
Annex
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Great work, Annex :)
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PGP4lyf3