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Discussion => Security => Topic started by: automatic on October 06, 2013, 11:51 am

Title: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 06, 2013, 11:51 am
I use the latest Tails version. I just did some experience with PGP.

Ok, i got some major problems;

1. I am able to encrypt a message. Then i sent it to a emailaddress. After i received, Claws Mail ask me for the passphrase. Now, recognize that copy&paste is not possible. So i tried the function auto fill from xpass. It worked exactly one time, bit not more.... Is there another way to put in the passphrase?

2. And now it becomes worse. If i not hurry to put in the passphrase, Tails crash completely. Then i only can do a hard reset. And now comes the best; after restart tails, all emails are gone. When i connect the emailserver, i see that claws mail count 7 mails, but it didnt show it. Mail is set as persisten in Tails options.

What could be the problem?

Another question; Do you all use the text editor to encrypt and decrypt messages? Is there not a motr comfortable way to do it within claws mail (pgp inline)?

Hope, someone have a idea what i doing wrong.

Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 06, 2013, 04:34 pm
I opened two email accounts. Everything for test purposes. Then i generated for each email address a pgp keypair. Then i sent a encrypted mail from one to the other account.

Could be the reason that here occur a conflict, if i try to encrypt and decrypt messages of which i own the private and public key?

Tails runs on a UBS Stick with persistent volume.

Tails crashes (freezing) when i get asked for the pgp passphrase.  :(
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: GyroGym on October 06, 2013, 09:14 pm
Just use the text editor. Its easy and just paste in an email.
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 07, 2013, 04:05 am
This would be ok. But i dont know how to paste the passphrase to encrypt the mail. And when i try that, Tails get freezing. :(
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: GyroGym on October 07, 2013, 08:10 am
Have Gedit open, type whatever you want encrypted, highlight it all and Ctrl+X to copy to clipboard.

 Now left click your pgp icon beside the Onion icon. and go to sign/encypt clipboard with public keys.
 Choose what key to encypt and BAM.... the message will be encypted with the public key......go back to your email, IM, or forum msg and just past it in. (ctr+p)  [Thats all you gotta do, send the email as if it had normal unencrypted text inside.]

 To decrypt msgs its the same thing, copy the code to you're clipboard, highlight it all and cut it, and click on icon and it will have changed to a decrypt option.
 Everything runs off the clipboard. just remember that (ctr+c OR ctr+x to copy/cut any text to clipboard)

 Its very simple to use, just keep your gedit program running to keep things neat and tidy and use your clipboard.

Ctrl + C  = Cut selected text from gedit

Ctrl + P = Paste Text to gedit



 Also store all your public/private keys in your persistant drive. (duh!)
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 07, 2013, 08:18 am
Thanks. I will try this way today later. If this works well, fine.

The other thing which me concerns; Why the email in claws mail gone? I configured claws mail, that it keeps mail for 7 days on the server after i received it. (POP3). When i check for new messages, i see that claws mail counts 7 mails, but it dont download it. It looks that claw mails know that those mails are already downloaded.

The mails are not important. Bat what if they would be important. It looks that those emails somewhere in the background are hidden...
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: GyroGym on October 07, 2013, 08:27 am
Thanks. I will try this way today later. If this works well, fine.

The other thing which me concerns; Why the email in claws mail gone? I configured claws mail, that it keeps mail for 7 days on the server after i received it. (POP3). When i check for new messages, i see that claws mail counts 7 mails, but it dont download it. It looks that claw mails know that those mails are already downloaded.

The mails are not important. Bat what if they would be important. It looks that those emails somewhere in the background are hidden...


 Couldn't tell ya man, I just use safe-mail for now and encypt everything. I don't save pop3 or other email info on my OS. ( Would be safe in the persistant drive, however I just dont feel safe keeping that info locally incase i gotta pull the plug and eat my SD card.
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: livestr0ng on October 10, 2013, 06:48 am
It sounds like Claws might be the issue. I'd just stop using it but its up to you...just a suggestion in an effort to help.
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 12, 2013, 11:37 am
May be your right. But then i wonder why dont other users report about this problem.

What would be your advise to use a mailclient instaed of Claws Mail?
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 12, 2013, 11:46 am
I tried the advice from GyroGym. Encrypt works, but not decrypt. It's a shame.

I get the message;



gpg: [don't know]: invalid packet (ctb=02)
gpg: encrypted with 4096-bit RSA key, ID 97BB4ECF, created 2013-10-06
      "speedbit.ontheway <speedbit.ontheway@clovermail.net>"
gpg: decryption failed: secret key not available


Secret Key? Why it dont ask me?
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 12, 2013, 11:52 am
There is another strange issue. I did generate Keypairs on the openpgp applet in the tab personal keys. Now they all moved to "other keys". Why? For what?

Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 12, 2013, 11:58 am
And, i am not able to import keys to the openpgp Applet. It happen nothing. Is there anything which works in Tails? Looks more like a big pain in the ass.
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 12, 2013, 12:04 pm
And, if i want to generate a new pgp key;

Couldn't generate PGP key

Thats great. A complete disaster. Who the fuck knows what is the problem.

A few weeks ago, i played around with pgp with thunderbird. That was fucking easy.
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: livestr0ng on October 13, 2013, 05:02 am
Ok you should definitely format your stick and download TAILS from scratch. I'm pretty sure it'll help.
Title: Re: Tails & PGP Crash problem
Post by: automatic on October 14, 2013, 12:18 pm
Ok, i just installed Tails completly new. And, it happend exactly the same. It appears when pinentry for the passphrase.

Now, what i did; i disabled in Claws Mail under preferences "use gpg-agent to manage passwords". When i clik to a encryptet mail, i still get asked for the passphrase. But not anymore from pinentry. The box is named only "Passphrase".

Ok, so Tails do not crash. What do you think. is this ok to work with it?

By the way; i just searched on after "pinentry crash". Plenty of users report the same problem. I really wonder, why i dont read here about this issue.