Mailing List Archive

Status report
Hi,

I have not done a release for a while, here is why:

- I have done a lot of changes to make gnupg more extendable.
- Fixed some bugs with secret key checksums
- Added a --load-extension feature which enables you to load
external cipher, hash or public key algorithms.
- I'll add some thinks which are needed for OpenPGP.
- I'll change key generation so that DSA keys are the default ones.

The current problem that I have, is that the FSF doesn't like dynamic
linking (for --load-extension), because RMS thinks everyone is going
to violate the GPL by linking patented algorithms to gnupg. He wants
to leave it out to force people to use only the new algorithms.
I have done such a RSA extension
(http://www.d.shuttle.de/isil/crypt/src/rsa.c) and it really works
great. Hmmm. do I have to invent some client/server model for
extensions to allow RSA?


Werner
Re: Status report [ In reply to ]
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>>>>> "WK" == Werner Koch <wk@isil.d.shuttle.de> writes:

Hi!

WK> The current problem that I have, is that the FSF doesn't like
WK> dynamic linking (for --load-extension), because RMS thinks
WK> everyone is going to violate the GPL by linking patented
WK> algorithms to gnupg.
[....]

I understand his concern, but I think an easy way to do extensions is
a pretty cool feature.

Additionally, GPG might have to be able to cooperate with older
PGP-versions for quite some time. IMO this is even crucial for GPG
becoming widely used.


If it doesn't provide an easy way to link in RSA and IDEA on demand,
there might be modified versions very soon, which would no longer be
freely distributable in some parts of the world.
This would be less fortunate than the remote possibility of people
unintentionally/unknowingly violating RSA and IDEA patents.

WK> Hmmm. do I have to invent some client/server model for extensions
WK> to allow RSA?

Sounds complicated. And would it really solve the ``problem''?

Distributing an ``RSA-server'' doesn't sound more difficult than
distributing a dynamic-link module.


Bye,
Michael

- --
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