NODE df7ec4e0Jena Remailer
mixmaster@remail.obscura.com (Mixmaster)Sat, 28 Sep 1996 04:50:12 +0800
wmono@Direct.CA wrote:
w> On Sun, 22 Sep 1996, Mixmaster wrote:
>> Can any native English speaker please paraphrase the account
>> start-up procedure for us?
w> I took a stab at re-writing the help file, and I've attached it below.
w> The operator of jena might want to use it instead of the help file
w> currently being distributed, after correcting any errors and adding
w> the German sections back in.
OK, it's an improvement, but there's still some obscurity and a couple
of other problems:
w> I believe these instructions are correct -- I was able to follow them
w> to create a nym, and use it. YMMV.
So far I have had no luck, but this may be due to a mail lag, I dunno...
w> * The hexadecimal key-ID forms the Email address. For example,
if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:
anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de
Already a confusion: Is not the address pseudonym@as-node.jena.thur.de?
And, since the key ID is an eight-digit hex number, why the confusing
"...if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:"
^^
...or am I missing something already?
w> * The user-ID of the key contains the pseudonym, only. Note:
This is different from the convention, which is to include the
Email address in angle brackets.
OK, so if I understand this properly, when prompted for an account name
in PGP one simply enters
pseudonym
...with no quotes or address ("pseudonym" <pseudonym@someplace.net>).
w> If the signature is valid, the decrypted body should be a header for
w> the outbound mail, followed by a blank line, then the body for the
w> outbound mail. The following are headers considered valid by the
w> server:
w> * Subject: (or Anon-Subject:)
w> * To: (or Anon-To:)
w> * Newsgroups: (or Post-To: or Anon-Post-To:)
The header fields in parens are identical in function or not?
w> - Run 'pgp -esa -u "pseudonym" anon@as-node anonid.asc' to sign and
w> encrypt the extracted key for the server.
These various command lines in the helpfile do not work in the pre-legal
PGP 2.6/uix/ui versions preferred by many, though equivalent command
lines of course exist.
w> - Test your nym by posting to a test group (de.test is recommended
due to the location of the server) and wait several days before
requesting mail delivery.
Well, the sent message didn't show up in the newsgroup here, but there
are often lengthy delays anyway...
w> - If it didn't work, repeat the entire procedure. It's possible that
the key-ID already exists in the server's database and belongs to
another pseudonym.
The procedure didn't produce results for me so far, but before trying
again I wish to get confirmation that I am trying properly:
(Shortform directions)
1: Generate key with simple, one-word pseudonym, no quotes, no
address, no nothing.
2: Generate -kxa keyfile, pseudo.asc
3: -esa encrypt keyfile with Jenaer Remailer's PGP key and send
to anon@as-node.jena.thur.de via a remailer.
4: Account is automatically established and should work
immediately.
To test...
1: Prepare message textfile according to sample:
Newsgroups: de.test
Subject: Test
This is the test message textbody...
[or, alternately...]
To: de.test@news.demon.co.uk
Subject: Test
This is the test message textbody...
2: PGP encrypt the filebody and two header lines with the Jenaer
Remailer's key using the -esa command, signing the cyphertext
with your key previously sent to the remailer.
3: Send the resulting cyphertext message to the Jenaer Remailer
via another remailer, making sure to avoid command words in
the Subject: field of the outgoing message.
As I say, following these protocols I have not yet seen a resulting
message in the test group I have chosen. Do you feel this is due to
lag, or am I doing something obviously wrong?
w> 2E.request Email to be delivered?
[...]
w> - Never request a delivery to your real Email address.
So here's what I really want to know: When/if the new account is up and
running, how _does_ one discreetly retrieve his mail? I don't see how,
other than to have it sent to alt.anonymous.messages via a mail2news
netmail address such as alt.anonymous.messages@news.demon.co.uk and then
pick through the mess there until some cyphertext message responds to
his right key.
Either that or else have it sent to yet another pseudonymous account,
with all the uncertainties and delivery vicissitudes that entails.
NODE 095c5ad0[NOISE] Re: Jena Remailer
William Ono <wmono@Direct.CA>Sat, 28 Sep 1996 10:38:04 +0800
My appologies in advance to the list for this noise. Dear Anonymous, if
there is another way to contact you, please let it be known so that this
need not involve the 1500 others on the list.
On Fri, 27 Sep 1996, Mixmaster wrote:
> OK, it's an improvement, but there's still some obscurity and a couple
> of other problems:
> w> * The hexadecimal key-ID forms the Email address. For example,
> if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:
> anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de
>
> Already a confusion: Is not the address pseudonym@as-node.jena.thur.de?
No, it's not. "the address will be: anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de"
implies that the address will be anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de
> And, since the key ID is an eight-digit hex number, why the confusing
>
> "...if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:"
> ^^
> ...or am I missing something already?
0x is used to indicate that the characters that follow are in hexadecimal.
> w> * The user-ID of the key contains the pseudonym, only. Note:
> This is different from the convention, which is to include the
> Email address in angle brackets.
>
> OK, so if I understand this properly, when prompted for an account name
> in PGP one simply enters
>
> pseudonym
>
> ...with no quotes or address ("pseudonym" <pseudonym@someplace.net>).
Exactly. Just the pseudonym. Remember that at this point, you do not
know what your pseudonymous address will be, because the keys have not
been generated.
> w> * Subject: (or Anon-Subject:)
[deletia]
> The header fields in parens are identical in function or not?
Yes, identical in function.
To: bill@macrosquash.com
is the same as
Anon-To: bill@macrosquash.com
> w> - Run 'pgp -esa -u "pseudonym" anon@as-node anonid.asc' to sign and
> w> encrypt the extracted key for the server.
>
> These various command lines in the helpfile do not work in the pre-legal
> PGP 2.6/uix/ui versions preferred by many, though equivalent command
> lines of course exist.
I use PGP 2.6.2 as distributed by MIT. The command line in my re-written
help file works for my copy of PGP. The command line in the original help
file appearantly works for the international edition, although I am not
able to confirm this.
> The procedure didn't produce results for me so far, but before trying
> again I wish to get confirmation that I am trying properly:
> 1: Generate key with simple, one-word pseudonym, no quotes, no
> address, no nothing.
Multiple words work fine, but yes, that should be fine.
> 2: Generate -kxa keyfile, pseudo.asc
>
> 3: -esa encrypt keyfile with Jenaer Remailer's PGP key and send
> to anon@as-node.jena.thur.de via a remailer.
Yes, that is correct -- be sure that you are signing with your nym's key,
and not your own. Also be sure that the remailers you are using are
functional.
> 4: Account is automatically established and should work
> immediately.
As soon as the mail arrives, that is correct. If it was lost by using a
non-operational remailer, or by sending a misformatted mail, then it will
not.
> To test...
>
> 1: Prepare message textfile according to sample:
>
> Newsgroups: de.test
> Subject: Test
>
> This is the test message textbody...
Correct. All of this should be starting at column 0, with no indentation.
> 2: PGP encrypt the filebody and two header lines with the Jenaer
> Remailer's key using the -esa command, signing the cyphertext
> with your key previously sent to the remailer.
>
> 3: Send the resulting cyphertext message to the Jenaer Remailer
> via another remailer, making sure to avoid command words in
> the Subject: field of the outgoing message.
>
> As I say, following these protocols I have not yet seen a resulting
> message in the test group I have chosen. Do you feel this is due to
> lag, or am I doing something obviously wrong?
It may be lag, it may not be. I recommend that you create a test nym,
with minimal anonymity (no remailers, send everything directly to jena)
and, after waiting several hours to ensure that the key was added, send a
mail from your nym to your own account. If you get no mail after several
hours, something is wrong.
> w> - Never request a delivery to your real Email address.
>
> So here's what I really want to know: When/if the new account is up and
> running, how _does_ one discreetly retrieve his mail? I don't see how,
> other than to have it sent to alt.anonymous.messages via a mail2news
> netmail address such as alt.anonymous.messages@news.demon.co.uk and then
> pick through the mess there until some cyphertext message responds to
> his right key.
That's exactly right. We need better message pools. Actually, what is
needed is a email message pool, because of the lag and uncertainly of
Usenet. But that's a project for another day.
hth.
--
William Ono <wmono@direct.ca> PGP Key: F3F716BD
fingerprint = A8 0D B9 0F 40 A7 D6 64 B3 00 04 74 FD A7 12 C9 = fingerprint
PGP-encrypted mail welcome! "640k ought to be enough for everybody."