Re: encrypt.el in No Gnus 0.7

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:36:00 +0100 Reiner Steib <address@hidden> wrote: 

RS> On Wed, Oct 31 2007, Ted Zlatanov wrote:
>> This could go into mainline Emacs if people are interested.  For Gnus it
>> lets a user encrypt the .netrc file for example (I modified netrc.el
>> accordingly).  

RS> FYI: `net/netrc.el' has also been updated, so these changes are
RS> already in Emacs CVS.

It definitely makes sense to move encrypt.el into Emacs as well then.
My main concern was that it overlaps with all the other *crypt*.el
packages, and I really think that encrypt.el's simplicity and
non-invasiveness justifies its existence.  But it requires password.el.
I'm open to suggestions as to the best way to manage it.

>> I posted instructions on usage to the ding list, but they haven't gone
>> into the manual (partly because I didn't know if people would complain
>> about encrypt.el, or if it would eventually move to mainline Emacs).

RS> Could you please send it again?

This was in <address@hidden>, in January, I wrote:
> I put in some docs and fixes for encrypt.el.  Please see the beginning
> of the file.  Let me know if you have ideas or suggestions.  In the
> context of Gnus, encrypt.el is a very nice way to keep all your
> passwords and login info locked under one decryption password, usually
> that means your ~/.authinfo.  I've been using encrypt.el in Gnus for a
> while with GnuPG, and it works fine.  Those that know GnuPG well will
> probably have ideas on improving--using the private key instead of a
> password, etc.  The idea for encrypt.el is to let the user choose from
> any number of methods, so if you have suggestions for additional
> encryption/decryption models, please let me know.

So I actually posted a pointer to the instructions :)  Sorry for the
confusion, I didn't remember so long ago.

I have updated the docs in the code since, with the setup I use
day-to-day and which I am confident is reliable.  So encrypt.el has, at
the very beginning of the file, docs sufficient to get started using it
to keep encrypted netrc/authinfo files.

Ted