wmono@Direct.CA wrote: w> On Sun, 22 Sep 1996, Mixmaster wrote:
Can any native English speaker please paraphrase the account start-up procedure for us?
w> I took a stab at re-writing the help file, and I've attached it below. w> The operator of jena might want to use it instead of the help file w> currently being distributed, after correcting any errors and adding w> the German sections back in. OK, it's an improvement, but there's still some obscurity and a couple of other problems: w> I believe these instructions are correct -- I was able to follow them w> to create a nym, and use it. YMMV. So far I have had no luck, but this may be due to a mail lag, I dunno... w> * The hexadecimal key-ID forms the Email address. For example, if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be: anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de Already a confusion: Is not the address pseudonym@as-node.jena.thur.de? And, since the key ID is an eight-digit hex number, why the confusing "...if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:" ^^ ...or am I missing something already? w> * The user-ID of the key contains the pseudonym, only. Note: This is different from the convention, which is to include the Email address in angle brackets. OK, so if I understand this properly, when prompted for an account name in PGP one simply enters pseudonym ...with no quotes or address ("pseudonym" <pseudonym@someplace.net>). w> If the signature is valid, the decrypted body should be a header for w> the outbound mail, followed by a blank line, then the body for the w> outbound mail. The following are headers considered valid by the w> server: w> * Subject: (or Anon-Subject:) w> * To: (or Anon-To:) w> * Newsgroups: (or Post-To: or Anon-Post-To:) The header fields in parens are identical in function or not? w> - Run 'pgp -esa -u "pseudonym" anon@as-node anonid.asc' to sign and w> encrypt the extracted key for the server. These various command lines in the helpfile do not work in the pre-legal PGP 2.6/uix/ui versions preferred by many, though equivalent command lines of course exist. w> - Test your nym by posting to a test group (de.test is recommended due to the location of the server) and wait several days before requesting mail delivery. Well, the sent message didn't show up in the newsgroup here, but there are often lengthy delays anyway... w> - If it didn't work, repeat the entire procedure. It's possible that the key-ID already exists in the server's database and belongs to another pseudonym. The procedure didn't produce results for me so far, but before trying again I wish to get confirmation that I am trying properly: (Shortform directions) 1: Generate key with simple, one-word pseudonym, no quotes, no address, no nothing. 2: Generate -kxa keyfile, pseudo.asc 3: -esa encrypt keyfile with Jenaer Remailer's PGP key and send to anon@as-node.jena.thur.de via a remailer. 4: Account is automatically established and should work immediately. To test... 1: Prepare message textfile according to sample: Newsgroups: de.test Subject: Test This is the test message textbody... [or, alternately...] To: de.test@news.demon.co.uk Subject: Test This is the test message textbody... 2: PGP encrypt the filebody and two header lines with the Jenaer Remailer's key using the -esa command, signing the cyphertext with your key previously sent to the remailer. 3: Send the resulting cyphertext message to the Jenaer Remailer via another remailer, making sure to avoid command words in the Subject: field of the outgoing message. As I say, following these protocols I have not yet seen a resulting message in the test group I have chosen. Do you feel this is due to lag, or am I doing something obviously wrong? w> 2E.request Email to be delivered? [...] w> - Never request a delivery to your real Email address. So here's what I really want to know: When/if the new account is up and running, how _does_ one discreetly retrieve his mail? I don't see how, other than to have it sent to alt.anonymous.messages via a mail2news netmail address such as alt.anonymous.messages@news.demon.co.uk and then pick through the mess there until some cyphertext message responds to his right key. Either that or else have it sent to yet another pseudonymous account, with all the uncertainties and delivery vicissitudes that entails.
My appologies in advance to the list for this noise. Dear Anonymous, if there is another way to contact you, please let it be known so that this need not involve the 1500 others on the list. On Fri, 27 Sep 1996, Mixmaster wrote:
OK, it's an improvement, but there's still some obscurity and a couple of other problems:
w> * The hexadecimal key-ID forms the Email address. For example, if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be: anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de
Already a confusion: Is not the address pseudonym@as-node.jena.thur.de?
No, it's not. "the address will be: anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de" implies that the address will be anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de
And, since the key ID is an eight-digit hex number, why the confusing
"...if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:" ^^ ...or am I missing something already?
0x is used to indicate that the characters that follow are in hexadecimal.
w> * The user-ID of the key contains the pseudonym, only. Note: This is different from the convention, which is to include the Email address in angle brackets.
OK, so if I understand this properly, when prompted for an account name in PGP one simply enters
pseudonym
...with no quotes or address ("pseudonym" <pseudonym@someplace.net>).
Exactly. Just the pseudonym. Remember that at this point, you do not know what your pseudonymous address will be, because the keys have not been generated.
w> * Subject: (or Anon-Subject:) [deletia] The header fields in parens are identical in function or not?
Yes, identical in function. To: bill@macrosquash.com is the same as Anon-To: bill@macrosquash.com
w> - Run 'pgp -esa -u "pseudonym" anon@as-node anonid.asc' to sign and w> encrypt the extracted key for the server.
These various command lines in the helpfile do not work in the pre-legal PGP 2.6/uix/ui versions preferred by many, though equivalent command lines of course exist.
I use PGP 2.6.2 as distributed by MIT. The command line in my re-written help file works for my copy of PGP. The command line in the original help file appearantly works for the international edition, although I am not able to confirm this.
The procedure didn't produce results for me so far, but before trying again I wish to get confirmation that I am trying properly:
1: Generate key with simple, one-word pseudonym, no quotes, no address, no nothing.
Multiple words work fine, but yes, that should be fine.
2: Generate -kxa keyfile, pseudo.asc
3: -esa encrypt keyfile with Jenaer Remailer's PGP key and send to anon@as-node.jena.thur.de via a remailer.
Yes, that is correct -- be sure that you are signing with your nym's key, and not your own. Also be sure that the remailers you are using are functional.
4: Account is automatically established and should work immediately.
As soon as the mail arrives, that is correct. If it was lost by using a non-operational remailer, or by sending a misformatted mail, then it will not.
To test...
1: Prepare message textfile according to sample:
Newsgroups: de.test Subject: Test
This is the test message textbody...
Correct. All of this should be starting at column 0, with no indentation.
2: PGP encrypt the filebody and two header lines with the Jenaer Remailer's key using the -esa command, signing the cyphertext with your key previously sent to the remailer.
3: Send the resulting cyphertext message to the Jenaer Remailer via another remailer, making sure to avoid command words in the Subject: field of the outgoing message.
As I say, following these protocols I have not yet seen a resulting message in the test group I have chosen. Do you feel this is due to lag, or am I doing something obviously wrong?
It may be lag, it may not be. I recommend that you create a test nym, with minimal anonymity (no remailers, send everything directly to jena) and, after waiting several hours to ensure that the key was added, send a mail from your nym to your own account. If you get no mail after several hours, something is wrong.
w> - Never request a delivery to your real Email address.
So here's what I really want to know: When/if the new account is up and running, how _does_ one discreetly retrieve his mail? I don't see how, other than to have it sent to alt.anonymous.messages via a mail2news netmail address such as alt.anonymous.messages@news.demon.co.uk and then pick through the mess there until some cyphertext message responds to his right key.
That's exactly right. We need better message pools. Actually, what is needed is a email message pool, because of the lag and uncertainly of Usenet. But that's a project for another day. hth. -- William Ono <wmono@direct.ca> PGP Key: F3F716BD fingerprint = A8 0D B9 0F 40 A7 D6 64 B3 00 04 74 FD A7 12 C9 = fingerprint PGP-encrypted mail welcome! "640k ought to be enough for everybody."
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mixmaster＠remail.obscura.com -
William Ono