183 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
183 lines
6.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Email Functionality
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sidebar:
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label: Email Operations
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---
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GpgFrontend offers a powerful and user-friendly solution for email encryption
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and signing, tailored for security-conscious users. By processing emails offline
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in a widely supported `.eml` format, it eliminates the need for complex
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protocols while maintaining robust OpenPGP compliance. Whether you're signing,
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encrypting, verifying, or decrypting emails, GpgFrontend ensures a secure and
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streamlined experience.
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## **Purpose and Key Advantages**
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GpgFrontend's email processing functionality is designed to empower users to
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handle PGP-signed and encrypted emails in situations where their email clients
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or web-based email services lack native PGP support. The core advantages
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include:
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- **Offline Verification and Decryption**: Users can securely process emails
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locally without uploading their private keys to email providers. This
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significantly enhances privacy and security.
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- **EML Format Handling**: By leveraging the widely supported `.eml` format,
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GpgFrontend avoids introducing complex protocols like IMAP or SMTP,
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maintaining simplicity while offering full OpenPGP compliance.
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- **Security-Focused**: For security-conscious users, GpgFrontend provides an
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offline, local-first solution that minimizes exposure to online threats and
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untrusted environments.
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## **Features Overview**
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### **1. OpenPGP Standards Compliance**
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GpgFrontend adheres to OpenPGP standards (RFC 4880 and 3156) for email
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encryption and signing, ensuring compatibility with tools like Thunderbird and
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other OpenPGP-enabled clients.
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- Emails processed in GpgFrontend can be easily verified and decrypted by
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compliant email clients.
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- Supports separate and combined operations, such as:
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- **Sign Only**: Digitally sign the email to ensure authenticity.
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- **Encrypt Only**: Encrypt the email to protect its content.
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- **Sign and Encrypt Together**: Combine both operations for comprehensive
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security.
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- **Decrypt and Verify Together or Separately**: Flexibly handle incoming
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messages.
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### **2. Creating and Processing Emails**
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#### **Creating and Signing Emails**
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1. Open GpgFrontend and click **"New E-Mail"** to create a blank email.
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2. Type your email content in the editor.
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3. Select your private key from the **Key Toolbox**.
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4. Click **"Sign"** to digitally sign the email.
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- Signed emails include a PGP signature block, visible in the content.
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#### **Encrypting Emails**
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1. Select the recipient's public key in the **Key Toolbox**.
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2. Click **"Encrypt"** to secure the email content.
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- The content will be transformed into a PGP-encrypted format.
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#### **Saving Emails for Sending**
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1. Processed emails can be saved as `.eml` files using **File > Save As**.
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2. Upload the `.eml` file to your email client's drafts folder or webmail
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interface, then send the email.
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### **3. Receiving and Processing Emails**
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#### **Decrypting and Verifying Emails**
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1. Export the email source as an `.eml` file from your email client or copy the
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raw email source.
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2. Open the `.eml` file in GpgFrontend.
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3. Use:
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- **"Decrypt Verify"**: Decrypt and verify the email simultaneously.
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- **"Verify"**: Validate the signature without decrypting.
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- **"Decrypt"**: Decrypt without verifying.
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#### **Offline Validation**
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- GpgFrontend processes all email verification and decryption offline, ensuring
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that no sensitive data is exposed to external servers.
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- Users retain full control of their private keys, which remain stored locally.
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### **4. Why Use EML Format?**
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#### **Benefits of EML**
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- `.eml` is a widely supported format across email clients like Thunderbird,
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Outlook, and webmail platforms.
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- Unlike proprietary email handling protocols, `.eml` allows for seamless
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export, import, and offline processing.
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#### **Why Not Use IMAP/SMTP?**
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- Avoids the complexity and potential vulnerabilities introduced by integrating
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full-fledged email protocols.
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- Keeps the application lightweight and focused on local cryptographic
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operations.
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#### **Addressing PGP Limitations in Clients**
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- Many email clients lack robust PGP support or offer inconsistent
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implementations.
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- GpgFrontend provides a reliable and flexible solution for users needing
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advanced PGP functionality.
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## **Key Use Cases**
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### **1. Sending Emails**
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1. Process the email in GpgFrontend (e.g., sign, encrypt, or both).
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2. Save the processed email as an `.eml` file.
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3. Import the `.eml` file into your email client or webmail interface, then send
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it.
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### **2. Receiving Emails**
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1. Export the email source as `.eml` from your email client.
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2. Open it in GpgFrontend to decrypt or verify.
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3. For example:
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- A signed email will display a **"Good Digital Signature"** message.
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- An encrypted email will be decrypted and displayed in plaintext.
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## **Advanced Features**
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### **1. Combined Operations**
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- GpgFrontend supports simultaneous encryption and signing of outgoing emails.
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- Incoming emails can also be decrypted and verified in a single operation for
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convenience.
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### **2. Flexible Processing**
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- Choose separate or combined workflows for signing, encrypting, verifying, or
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decrypting based on your needs.
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- This flexibility makes GpgFrontend a versatile tool for various email
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scenarios.
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### **3. Offline-First Design**
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- All cryptographic operations are performed locally, ensuring that private keys
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and sensitive data are never exposed to external servers.
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## **Best Practices for Secure Email Handling**
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1. **Use Trusted Keys**:
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- Regularly validate public keys to prevent misuse.
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- Import keys only from trusted sources.
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2. **Keep Private Keys Offline**:
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- Avoid uploading private keys to email providers.
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- Store private keys securely, preferably on encrypted storage.
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3. **Leverage GpgFrontend's Local Processing**:
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- Ensure all encryption, signing, and verification tasks are performed
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offline for maximum security.
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4. **Save Emails in EML Format**:
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- Use `.eml` files for cross-platform compatibility and simple integration
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with various email clients.
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5. **Check Email Compatibility**:
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- Ensure recipients can handle PGP-encrypted emails or provide instructions
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for using tools like GpgFrontend or Thunderbird.
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