caff/README.many-keys

   1 Using caff to sign lots of keys
   2 -------------------------------
   3
   4 If you have loads of keys to sign (sometimes, there are keysigning parties with
   5 more than 100 participants), keysigning can be arkward, even with caff. It gets
   6 worse if you have multiple local keys and want to sign with all.
   7
   8 Some hints to get the signing done faster:
   9
  10 * Use fingerprints instead of key ids.
  11
  12   caff and gpg allow you to specify the full fingerprint. This will save you
  13   from having to check the fingerprint yourself. If you have a text file with
  14   all fingerprints (with all the spaces stripped from them), use that and then
  15   run
  16
  17   $ caff <options> `cat ksp-fingerprints.txt`
  18
  19 * v3 keys are evil.
  20
  21   V3 keys (pgp 2.6x keys) are deprecated.  Not only do they rely on md5 for
  22   their fingerprint and signatures, they also use the patented IDEA algorithm
  23   for encryption.  Also, there are several attacks that make creating new keys
  24   with the same keyid trivial.  Others make it possible to create different
  25   keys with the same fingerprint (tho the key will not actually contain valid
  26   RSA parameters).
  27
  28   Because of these problems a lot of people (like caff's author) refuse to sign
  29   v3 keys these days.
  30
  31   If you still want to sign v3 keys, sign v3 separately. Batch processing does
  32   not work. See README.v3-keys.
  33
  34 * Use multiple passes.
  35
  36   Going through retrieving, signing, and mailing keys can help, e.g.:
  37
  38   $ caff --no-sign --no-export-old --no-mail `cat ksp-fingerprints.txt`
  39   $ caff --no-download --no-export-old --no-mail `cat ksp-fingerprints.txt`
  40   $ caff --no-download --no-sign --no-export-old `cat ksp-fingerprints.txt`
  41
  42 * If you have multiple local keys, only send mail once after signing with all.
  43
  44   caff will send out all previously done signatures in the message. (Of course
  45   you have to configure $CONFIG{'keyid'} to contain all your key ids.)
  46
  47   $ caff --no-export-old --no-mail -u <mykey1> <keyids to sign>
  48   $ caff --no-download --no-export-old -u <mykey2> <keyids to sign>
  49
  50 * Use gpg-agent.
  51
  52   See README.gpg-agent.
  53
  54 * Use gpg-sign-args.
  55
  56   $CONFIG{'gpg-sign-args'} = "save";
  57
  58   This automatically saves the key after signing in gpg. The advantage is that
  59   you do not have to type "save" for each key. The disadvantage is that you
  60   cannot choose which UIDs to sign by answering "no" at the "Really sign?"
  61   prompt any more; you will have *not* to send out some mails. (And you have
  62   unwanted signatures lingering around in ~/.caff/gnupghome/pubring.gpg.)
  63
  64  -- Christoph Berg <cb@df7cb.de>  Wed,  6 Jul 2005 13:46:16 +0200