Re: ELPA security

[Stefan Monnier]

TZ> etc/elpa/ARCHIVE-NAME can contain the actual armored GPG signature but
TZ> it can also have more metadata about the archive.  So the format could
TZ> be:

TZ> url=ARCHIVE-URL
TZ> other-metadata=whatever
TZ> then-a-new-line=ends metadata

TZ> SIGNATURE

TZ> and if SIGNATURE is missing, the archive is not signed.

Hmm... I'm not sure I understand the issues here.  IIUC Debian
uses a GPG keyring.  What's the difference?Also, you talk about the
signature here, whereas I think "an archive has a key, each package has
a signature".

> For now I'm using the old format.  Archives are signed by default as
> requested.  I've rebased the patch against the changes to package.el.

I think the list of signed/unsigned archives should be managed
dynamically/automatically: if a signature is missing, ask the user if
she thinks it's normal, and if so, place the archive into a list of
"unsigned archives", so the question is not repeated.  But every time we
access the archive, we still try to get the a signature.  If we do find
a signature, then remove the archive from the "unsigned archives" list.

> Finally, for easier testing I think we should put a fake archive with 1
> package in test/elpa/packages.

Sure.

> I didn't do it because Stefan mentioned Daniel Hackney's changes
> included some testing code and I didn't want to confuse matters.

You could install Daniel's tests before adding your own.

TZ> Using EPG functions, however, I could not figure out how to verify with
TZ> an external public GPG key.  I don't see that option with any of the
TZ> context functions.  Perhaps someone knows?  Without that option, the
TZ> user has to explicitly load the maintainer's public GPG key, which is
TZ> very impractical around package.el.
> I need to know the above to make the patch usable, so I won't commit for
> now.

I don't understand the question, sadly.

> Also the signature has to be named .gpgsig because the extension .gpg
> (the default) makes EPA/EPG attempt to decrypt it.

".gpgsig" is fine, as is ".sig".  Are you talking about the packages's
signatures, or about some ~/.emacs.d/elpa/archive/key.gpgsig?


        Stefan