RE: [TCLUG:19106] PGP key generation questions

["Eric Hillman" <ehillman@cccu.com>]

> > Is it possible to generate a pgp key for a different user then the
> one you are
> > logged in as?
> >
> > For instance, I am logged in as tanner, but I want to generate a pgp key for
> > hostmaster, can I do it in my own account and just tell hostmaster their
> > private pass-phrase?
> >
> > I don't want to experiment on this. I would hate to loose my (tanner) pgp
> > keyring. :-)

Your best bet is simply to "su" to that user's account and create a keyring
normally.  We do that here for some systems that we want to automatically
encrypt & deliver messages to on a regular basis.

If you can't "su" to that account -- well, just out of curiosity, why is it that
"hostmaster" won't trust you to log in as them, but *will* trust you to hold
their private encryption key?  Anyways, I believe you can create a second pgp
keypair and export it, much like you would to move it from one PC to another.
Unfortunately, I use "gpg", Gnu's free PGP replacement, so I don't know the
exact commands you'd have to give it.  Anyways it's much easier to just log in
as the user in question and let pgp handle the keyring & whatnot.


---BEGIN PBP SIGNATURE---
Version: Pretty Bad Privacy v0.23

01
----END PBP SIGNATURE----