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Annotation of pgp/readme.doc, revision 1.1.1.4

1.1.1.4 ! root        1:           Pretty Good Privacy version 2.3a - READ ME FIRST
1.1.1.2   root        2:                        Notes by Perry Metzger
1.1.1.4 ! root        3:                    Edited for 2.3a by Colin Plumb
1.1.1.2   root        4: 
                      5: 
1.1.1.4 ! root        6: You are looking at the README file for PGP release 2.3a.  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: 
1.1.1.4 ! root       12: The files pgpdoc1.txt and pgpdoc2.txt contain documentation for the
        !            13: system.  Before using PGP, PLEASE READ THE DOCUMENTATION.  This tends
        !            14: to get neglected with most computer software, but cryptography software
        !            15: is easy to misuse, and if you don't use it properly much of the security
        !            16: you could gain by using it will be lost!
        !            17: 
        !            18: Security is only as strong as the weakest link, and while the algorithms
        !            19: in PGP are some of the strongest known in the civilian world, there are
        !            20: things outside the program's control which can weaken your security as
        !            21: assuredly as forgetting to lock a vault door.  Even if you are already
        !            22: familiar with public key cryptography, it is important that you
        !            23: understand the various security issues associated with using PGP. 
        !            24: 
        !            25: PGP 2.3a, released July 2, 1993 fixes some glitches which made their way
        !            26: into PGP 2.3, released June 15, 1993.  It will likely be followed by
        !            27: more updated versions in the months to come, so check around for more
        !            28: recent updates, especially if you received PGP 2.3a substantially after
        !            29: the release date.  If there is a more recent release, please acquire it,
        !            30: and please get the place from which you got PGP 2.3a or an earlier
        !            31: version to update their release, too.
        !            32: 
        !            33: There are four archives in the PGP 2.3a release.  You will usually only
        !            34: need one of them.  They are:
        !            35: - pgp23A.zip   This is the MS-DOS executable release, which includes
        !            36:                the executable, support files, and basic documentation.
        !            37: - pgp23srcA.zip        This is a source code release, which includes all the source
        !            38:                code needed to compile PGP and examples of usage.  This
        !            39:                contains everything in pgp23A.zip except that the manual is
        !            40:                not paginated and it does not contain an executable nor an
        !            41:                associated signature.
        !            42: - pgp23A.tar.Z This contains exactly the same files as pgp23srcA.zip, except
        !            43:                that they use Unix rather than MS-DOS line end conventions.
        !            44: - pgp23docA.zip        This is the documentation for PGP only.  This can be freely
        !            45:                exported and is useful to tell people what PGP does.
        !            46: 
        !            47: While we welcome ports to other platforms, if you make your own archive
        !            48: for distribution, PLEASE INCLUDE THE MANUAL.  It covers important
        !            49: security and legal issues which a new user must know.
        !            50:                
        !            51: Assuming you have a code (non-documentation) release, the file SETUP.DOC
        !            52: contains information on how to install PGP on your system; this document
        !            53: is broken up into several sections, each dealing with a different
        !            54: operating system: PGP is known to run on MS-DOS, UNIX, VMS and OS/2.  Part
        !            55: of the information in SETUP.DOC might make more sense if you have already
        !            56: read the manuals.
        !            57: 
        !            58: PGP is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public Licence,
        !            59: a copy of which is included.  In brief, this states that PGP is freely
        !            60: distributable, subject only to the condition that if you make a modified
        !            61: version and choose to distribute it, you must make it freely distributable
        !            62: as well.  See the file COPYING for details.
        !            63: 
        !            64: This PGP 2.3 release has several bug fixes over PGP 2.2, and a few
        !            65: new (although somewhat esoteric) features.  See doc\newfor23.doc
        !            66: for details.  The most important fix is to compression on MS-DOS.
        !            67: an invlaid pointer was bring freed, causing unpredictable behaviour.
        !            68: Sometimes, no harm would reault.  Sometimes. the machine would crash.
        !            69: 
        !            70: MANIFEST for PGP 2.3a MSDOS executable release
        !            71: ---------------------------------------------
        !            72: 
        !            73: Here is a list of files included in the PGP 2.3a MSDOS executable release
        !            74: file PGP23A.ZIP...
        !            75: 
        !            76: README.DOC     - This file you are reading
        !            77: BINFILES       - The master list of files, used to generate the archive
        !            78: PGP.EXE        - PGP executable program
        !            79: CONFIG.TXT     - User configuration parameter file for PGP
        !            80: LANGUAGE.TXT   - Sample language file for French and Spanish
        !            81: PGP.HLP        - Online help file for PGP
        !            82: ES.HLP         - Online help file in Spanish
        !            83: FR.HLP         - Online help file in French
        !            84: KEYS.ASC       - Sample public keys you should add to your keyring
        !            85: PGPSIG.ASC     - Detached signature of PGP.EXE, to detect viruses
        !            86: DOC\SETUP.DOC  - Installation guide
        !            87: DOC\PGPDOC1.DOC        - PGP User's Guide, Vol I: Essential Topics
        !            88: DOC\PGPDOC2.DOC        - PGP User's Guide, Vol II: Special Topics
        !            89: DOC\COPYING    - GNU General Public Licence
        !            90: DOC\BLURB.TXT  - Brief description of PGP, for BBS indexes
        !            91: DOC\POLITIC.DOC        - Computer-related political groups
1.1.1.2   root       92: 
                     93: 
                     94: For Clinical Paranoia Sufferers Only
                     95: ------------------------------------
                     96: 
1.1.1.4 ! root       97: It is always possible that the PGP you have received has been tampered
1.1.1.2   root       98: with in some way.  This is a risk because PGP is used as a system to
                     99: assure security, so those wishing to breach your security could likely
                    100: do it by making sure that your copy of PGP has been tampered with.  Of
                    101: course, if you receive PGP in a binary distribution, it makes sense to
                    102: check it for viruses, and if you receive PGP as source code, looking
                    103: for signs of obvious tampering might be a good idea.  However, it is
                    104: very difficult to actually determine if the code has no subtle bugs
                    105: that have been introduced and that the executable you are using has
1.1.1.4 ! root      106: not been tampered with in any way.
        !           107: 
        !           108: If you have a previous version of PGP which you already trust, the
        !           109: cryptographic signature on the executable will assure you that it has
        !           110: not been tampered with (with the possible exception of a "stealth virus"
        !           111: already existing on your system).  If you are a really paranoid person,
        !           112: try getting a cryptographically signed copy of the software from someone
        !           113: you trust to have a good copy.  It would also likely be good for you to
        !           114: pay special attention to the sections of the manual on "Vulnerabilities."  
        !           115: You are going to read the manual, aren't you?

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