ietf-openpgp
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Re: Algorithms and specifiers

1998-03-21 18:49:01
At 11:26 AM -0800 3/21/98, Adam Back wrote:
So by capabilities it means that if my client specifies no
capabilities this implies 3DES capability.  (It has to as 3DES is a
must algorithm, and we need one MUST algorithm).  If my client
specifies CAST5, followed by 3DES, it means that I can decrypt both
CAST5 and 3DES but the order indicates that I prefer CAST5, if the
sender has this capability.

As an aside I think it would be probably sensible to never list 3DES
as a capability explicitly as it is by definition there as a MUST.
What does the current spec imply on this?

If the list is only to specify supported algorithms, then none of the MUST
algorithms (3DES) need be specified.  If the list is to specify an ordered
list of preferences, then the MUST algorithms must be specified so their
preference order can be determined.

I think there is a problem with having one list for both functions, but I
don't think it is serious.  Let us say I support a 40 bit algorithm.  I
don't think it is worth shit, but I have it.  Do I include it in the list
(as least preferred) or do I leave it off?


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