[Discuss] KeePassX

[warlord at MIT.EDU (Derek Atkins)]

Richard Pieri <richard.pieri at gmail.com> writes:

> Richard Pieri wrote:
>> Your 4096-bit asymmetric key is either RSA or DH, both of which are VERY
>> slow algorithms, too slow for general use.
>
> I correct myself: RSA or DSA. Not DH.

Actually you were correct the first time.  When you create a "DSA" key
in OpenPGP it actually creates a pair of keys.  DSA is a signature-only
key.  You cannot use "DSA" for encryption.  So OpenPGP also defines a
"DH" key (which technically isn't Diffie Hellman, technically it's an
El-Gamal key, but it's more related to DH than RSA) which you use for
encryption.  So yes, technically, you are creating a DH key.

-derek, former chair of the IETF OpenPGP Working Group

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available