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1.1.1.6 root 1: Pretty Good Privacy version 2.6 - READ ME FIRST
2: Notes by Perry Metzger
3: Edited for 2.3a by Colin Plumb
4:
5:
1.1.1.7 ! root 6: You are looking at the README file for PGP release 2.6.1. PGP, short for
1.1.1.6 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:
1.1.1.7 ! root 12: [Note: You will see references throughout this package to PGP release
! 13: 2.6. Yet this release is 2.6.1. This isn't really a problem. PGP 2.6.1
! 14: is simply a bugfix release of PGP 2.6. All features in PGP 2.6 are
! 15: also in PGP 2.6.1, just less buggy!]
! 16:
1.1.1.6 root 17: The files pgpdoc1.txt and pgpdoc2.txt contain documentation for the
18: system. Before using PGP, PLEASE READ THE DOCUMENTATION. This tends
19: to get neglected with most computer software, but cryptography software
20: is easy to misuse, and if you don't use it properly much of the security
21: you could gain by using it will be lost!
22:
23: Security is only as strong as the weakest link, and while the algorithms
24: in PGP are some of the strongest known in the civilian world, there are
25: things outside the program's control which can weaken your security as
26: assuredly as forgetting to lock a vault door. Even if you are already
27: familiar with public key cryptography, it is important that you
28: understand the various security issues associated with using PGP.
29:
30: There are four archives in the PGP 2.6 release. You will usually only
31: need one of them. They are:
1.1.1.7 ! root 32: - pgp261.zip This is the MS-DOS executable release, which includes
1.1.1.6 root 33: the executable, support files, and basic documentation.
34: Note: This archive contains an inner zip file named
1.1.1.7 ! root 35: PGP261I.ZIP. This internal zip file contains the actual
! 36: PGP release. PGP261.ZIP contains it and PGP261I.ASC which
1.1.1.6 root 37: is a detached signature generated by [email protected] for
1.1.1.7 ! root 38: PGP261I.ZIP. In this fashion you can verify that the
1.1.1.6 root 39: release you received is authentic. Other signatures
40: will be included in the future.
1.1.1.7 ! root 41: - pgp261s.zip This is a source code release, which includes all the source
1.1.1.6 root 42: code needed to compile PGP and examples of usage. This
1.1.1.7 ! root 43: contains everything in pgp261.zip except the pgp.exe binary.
! 44: It contains two internal ZIP files. PGP261SI.ZIP which
! 45: contains the PGP source (and the .OBJ files for the two
! 46: assembler modules so people without the assembler can
! 47: still compile and link PGP) and RSAREF.ZIP which contains
! 48: the RSAREF sources. There are also corresponding .ASC
! 49: files so you can verify the integrity of the source
! 50: release.
! 51: - pgp261s.tar.gz This contains exactly the same files as pgp261s.zip, except
1.1.1.6 root 52: that they use Unix rather than MS-DOS line end conventions.
1.1.1.7 ! root 53: Note: It also contains a signature and two internal tar
1.1.1.6 root 54: file so you can verify the integrity of the release you
55: have.
1.1.1.7 ! root 56: - pgp261s.tar.Z This is a UNIX compress version of pgp26src.tar.gz.
! 57: - pgp261dc.zip This is the documentation for PGP only. This can be freely
1.1.1.6 root 58: exported and is useful to tell people what PGP does.
59: Note: It also contains a signature and an internal ZIP
60: file so you can verify the integrity of the releaseyou
61: have.
62:
63: While we welcome ports to other platforms, if you make your own archive
64: for distribution, PLEASE INCLUDE THE MANUAL. It covers important
65: security and legal issues which a new user must know.
66:
67: Assuming you have a code (non-documentation) release, the file SETUP.DOC
68: contains information on how to install PGP on your system; this document
69: is broken up into several sections, each dealing with a different
1.1.1.7 ! root 70: operating system: PGP2.6 is known to run on MS-DOS and UNIX. It should
1.1.1.6 root 71: also run on VMS and OS/2, but these have not been tested yet. Part of
72: the information in SETUP.DOC might make more sense if you have already
73: read the manuals.
74:
75: PGP2.6 is freeware; you are welcome to copy and distribute it provided that
76: you do not export it from the U.S. and you follow the terms and conditions
77: of the included RSAREF license.
78:
1.1.1.7 ! root 79: For details on what has changed since release 2.3a, doc/changes.doc.
! 80: Release 2.4 was given to ViaCrypt only, and fixed a few minor bugs.
1.1.1.6 root 81:
1.1.1.7 ! root 82: MANIFEST for PGP 2.6.1 MSDOS executable release
1.1.1.6 root 83: ---------------------------------------------
84:
1.1.1.7 ! root 85: Here is a list of files included in the PGP 2.6.1 MSDOS executable release
! 86: file PGP261I.ZIP...
1.1.1.6 root 87:
88: CONFIG.TXT - User configuration parameter file for PGP
89: ES.HLP - Online help file in Spanish
90: FR.HLP - Online help file in French
91: KEYS.ASC - Sample public keys you should add to your keyring
1.1.1.7 ! root 92: LANGUAGE.TXT - Sample language file for French and Spanish
! 93: MITLICEN.TXT - PGP 2.6 License from MIT
! 94: PGP.EXE - PGP executable program
! 95: PGP.HLP - Online help file for PGP
! 96: README.DOC - This file you are reading
! 97: RSALICEN.TXT - RSAREF license
! 98: DOC\APPNOTE.DOC - Integrating PGP into Mailers (mostly UNIX oriented)
! 99: DOC\BLURB.TXT - Brief description of PGP, for BBS indexes
! 100: DOC\CHANGES.DOC - Changes since PGP 2.3
! 101: DOC\KEYSERV.DOC - Information (maybe out of date) on PGP Keyservers
1.1.1.6 root 102: DOC\PGPDOC1.DOC - PGP User's Guide, Vol I: Essential Topics
103: DOC\PGPDOC2.DOC - PGP User's Guide, Vol II: Special Topics
104: DOC\POLITIC.DOC - Computer-related political groups
1.1.1.7 ! root 105: DOC\SETUP.DOC - Installation guide
1.1.1.6 root 106:
107: For Clinical Paranoia Sufferers Only
108: ------------------------------------
109:
110: It is always possible that the PGP you have received has been tampered
111: with in some way. This is a risk because PGP is used as a system to
112: assure security, so those wishing to breach your security could likely
113: do it by making sure that your copy of PGP has been tampered with. Of
114: course, if you receive PGP in a binary distribution, it makes sense to
115: check it for viruses, and if you receive PGP as source code, looking
116: for signs of obvious tampering might be a good idea. However, it is
117: very difficult to actually determine if the code has no subtle bugs
118: that have been introduced and that the executable you are using has
119: not been tampered with in any way.
120:
121: If you have a previous version of PGP which you already trust, the
122: cryptographic signature on the executable will assure you that it has
123: not been tampered with (with the possible exception of a "stealth virus"
124: already existing on your system). If you are a really paranoid person,
125: try getting a cryptographically signed copy of the software from someone
126: you trust to have a good copy. It would also likely be good for you to
127: pay special attention to the sections of the manual on "Vulnerabilities."
128: You are going to read the manual, aren't you?
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