Exporting The Public Key; Importing Public Keys From Others - Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE DESKTOP 11 - APPLICATION GUIDE 17-03-2009 Application Manual

10.3 Exporting the Public Key

After generating your key pair, make the public key available to other users. This enables
them to use it to encrypt or sign the messages or files they send you. For example, if
you want to encrypt a message for user tux, you encrypt it using tux' public key. To
decrypt the message, tux uses his private key. If tux wants to send you a message, he
encrypts it using your public key and you decrypt the message with your private key.
To make the public key available for others, select Keys > Export Public Keys. The di-
alog that opens offers four options:
Email
Your public key is sent to a recipient of your choice by e-mail. If you activate this
option and confirm with OK, the dialog for creating a new e-mail message with
your default mail program appears. Enter the recipient and click Send. The recipient
receives your key and can then send you encrypted contents.
Clipboard
You can place your public key here before continuing to process it.
Default Key Server
To make your public key available to a wide audience, export it to one of the key
servers on the Internet. For more information, refer to
Server Dialog" (page 105).
File
If you prefer to distribute your key as a file on a data medium instead of sending
it by e-mail, click this option, confirm or change the file path and name, and click
OK.
10.4 Importing Public Keys from
Others
If you receive a key in a file (for example, as an e-mail attachment), integrate it in your
key ring with Import Key and use it for encrypted communication with the sender. You
can also import keys from a public server if the person you want to communicate with
has stored his public key there. For more information, see
Section 10.5, "The Key
Section 10.5, "The Key
Encryption with KGpg 103