From: Mike Ingle <MIKEINGLE@delphi.com>
Date: Thu, 5 May 94 16:53:34 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: MIT keyserver: don't panic...
Message-ID: <01HBZQ7E4BPE94DYH0@delphi.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Take a look at pgformat.doc, which is included in the source or doc
releases of pgp23a. Both the public key and signature packets have only a
single-byte version number, which is always equal to 2. So there is no way
to tell by looking at your key which minor version (2.xx) it was created
by. You can tell which version was used to extract it to ascii armor by
looking at the "Version: 2.xx" line in the ascii armored message. So get a
text editor. Big deal. You will not have to regenerate your keys and get
new signatures on them. If we have a no-doubts legal PGP, with source code,
and free, that's good! If something sucks about it, PGP23a is not going to
disappear. This can only be a positive development. As for why the
keyserver crippling was imposed, RSA can lose its patent rights if it
can't show in court that it made an effort to prevent its patents from
being infringed.

--- Mike