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Annotation of pgp/readme.doc, revision 1.1.1.3

1.1.1.3 ! root        1:           Pretty Good Privacy version 2.2 - READ ME FIRST
1.1.1.2   root        2:                        Notes by Perry Metzger
1.1.1.3 ! root        3:                   Additions for 2.2 by Colin Plumb
1.1.1.2   root        4: 
                      5: 
1.1.1.3 ! root        6: You are looking at the README file for PGP release 2.2.  PGP, short for
1.1.1.2   root        7: Pretty Good Privacy, is a public key encryption package; with it, you
                      8: can secure messages you transmit against unauthorized reading and
                      9: digitally sign them so that people receiving them can be sure they
                     10: come from you.
                     11: 
1.1.1.3 ! root       12: The files DOC\PGPDOC1.DOC and DOC\PGPDOC2.DOC contain documentation
        !            13: for the system.   If the DOC directory doesn't exist because you forgot
        !            14: to specify the -d option to unzip to make it preserve the directory
        !            15: structure, it would probably be a good idea to go back and do so.
        !            16: The command is probably:
        !            17: 
        !            18:        pkunzip -d pgp22.zip
1.1.1.2   root       19: 
                     20: Before using PGP, PLEASE READ THE DOCUMENTATION.  This tends to get
                     21: neglected with most computer software, but cryptography software is
                     22: easy to misuse, and if you don't use it properly much of the security
                     23: you could gain by using it will be lost!  You might also be unfamiliar
                     24: with the concepts behind public key cryptography; the manual explains
                     25: these ideas.  Even if you are already familiar with public key
                     26: cryptography, it is important that you understand the various security
                     27: issues associated with using PGP. 
                     28: 
1.1.1.3 ! root       29: The file DOC\SETUP.DOC contains information on how to install PGP on your
1.1.1.2   root       30: system; this document is broken up into several sections, each dealing
                     31: with a different operating system: PGP is known to run on MS-DOS,
                     32: UNIX, and VMS.  Part of the information in SETUP.DOC might make more
                     33: sense if you have already read the manuals.
                     34: 
1.1.1.3 ! root       35: PGP 2.2, which was released on March 6, 1993, is the second
        !            36: update after the September 1992 release of PGP 2.0.  It will be
1.1.1.2   root       37: followed by more updated versions in the months to come, so check 
1.1.1.3 ! root       38: around for more recent updates, especially if you received PGP 2.2
1.1.1.2   root       39: substantially after the release date.  If there is a more recent
                     40: release, please acquire it, and please get the place from which you
1.1.1.3 ! root       41: got your earlier version to update their release, too.
1.1.1.2   root       42: 
1.1.1.3 ! root       43: This 2.2 release has fixed a number of irritating bugs in PGP 2.1,
        !            44: and has some notable improvements.  Managing large key rings is now
        !            45: much faster and you can now send to multiple recipients.  Also a number
        !            46: of features intended to make it easier to use in shell scripts and with
        !            47: mailers or editors have been included.  See DOC\NEWFOR22.DOC for details.
        !            48: 
        !            49: MANIFEST for PGP 2.2
        !            50: --------------------
        !            51: 
        !            52: Here is a list of files included in the PGP 2.2 MSDOS executable release
        !            53: file PGP22.ZIP:
        !            54: 
        !            55: README.DOC      - This file you are reading
        !            56: PGP.EXE         - PGP executable program
        !            57: CONFIG.TXT      - User configuration parameter file for PGP
        !            58: LANGUAGE.TXT    - Sample language file for French and Spanish
        !            59: PGP.HLP         - Online help file for PGP
        !            60: ES.HLP          - Online help file in Spanish
        !            61: FR.HLP          - Online help file in French
        !            62: KEYS.ASC        - Sample public keys you should add to your keyring
        !            63: PGPSIG.ASC      - Detached signature of PGP.EXE, to detect viruses
        !            64: DOC\SETUP.DOC   - Installation guide
        !            65: DOC\PGPDOC1.DOC         - PGP User's Guide, Vol I: Essential Topics
        !            66: DOC\PGPDOC2.DOC         - PGP User's Guide, Vol II: Special Topics
        !            67: DOC\NEWFOR22.DOC - Things that have changed since PGP 2.1
        !            68: DOC\KEYSERV.DOC         - How to use a key server to exchange public keys
        !            69: DOC\POLITIC.DOC         - Political organiztions that may be of interest to PGP users
        !            70: 
        !            71: The source releases (PGP22SRC.ZIP or pgp22.tar.Z) do NOT contain the files:
        !            72: 
        !            73: PGP.EXE                 - MS-DOS executable
        !            74: PGPSIG.ASC      - Signature for above
        !            75: DOC\PGPDOC1.DOC         - Paginated User's Guide, Vol I
        !            76: DOC\PGPDOC2.DOC         - Paginated User's Guide, Vol II
        !            77: 
        !            78: But do contain, in addition to those listed above:
        !            79: 
        !            80: SRCFILES        - A list of the source code files
        !            81: DOC\README.VMS  - Details needed by VMS users only
        !            82: DOC\PGP.1       - A PGP man page, not entirely up-to-date
        !            83: DOC\PGPDOC1.TXT         - Unpaginated user's guide, Vol I: Essential Topics
        !            84: DOC\PGPDOC2.TXT         - Unpaginated user's guide, Vol II: Special Topics
        !            85: DOC\PGFORMAT.DOC - Documentation on the format of .pgp files
        !            86: DOC\APPNOTE.DOC         - An application note on using pgp with mailers (see CONTRIB)
        !            87: SRC\            - The full source code
        !            88: CONTRIB\        - Some contributed utilities - see the README file there.
1.1.1.2   root       89: 
1.1.1.3 ! root       90: The only differences between the .zip and the .tar.Z files are end-of-line
        !            91: conventions and the fact that the filenames are lowercase.
1.1.1.2   root       92: 
                     93: For Clinical Paranoia Sufferers Only
                     94: ------------------------------------
                     95: 
1.1.1.3 ! root       96: If you have a previous version of PGP that you trust, you can use
        !            97: it to check the current version.  For binary distributions, that's
        !            98: straightforward.  For source distributions, in the CONTRIB directory
        !            99: is an MD5SUM utility that can be used to verify the source, comparing the
        !           100: MD5 signature of each source file with a master list (which is signed
        !           101: with PGP).
        !           102: 
        !           103: If, however, this is the first version of PGP you've received, then
        !           104: it is always possible that the PGP you have received has been tampered
1.1.1.2   root      105: with in some way.  This is a risk because PGP is used as a system to
                    106: assure security, so those wishing to breach your security could likely
                    107: do it by making sure that your copy of PGP has been tampered with.  Of
                    108: course, if you receive PGP in a binary distribution, it makes sense to
                    109: check it for viruses, and if you receive PGP as source code, looking
                    110: for signs of obvious tampering might be a good idea.  However, it is
                    111: very difficult to actually determine if the code has no subtle bugs
                    112: that have been introduced and that the executable you are using has
                    113: not been tampered with in any way.  If you are a really paranoid
                    114: person, try getting a cryptographically signed copy of the software
                    115: from someone you trust to have a good copy.  It would also likely be
                    116: good for you to read the sections of the manual on "Vulnerabilities",
                    117: which you should have read anyway since you have read the
                    118: documentation already, haven't you?

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