From: "Timothy L. Nali" <tn0s+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 94 02:27:27 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Need advice on starting to make PGP library
In-Reply-To: <199406220354.UAA03231@netcom14.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <8i20C3W00iV0E0jVVf@andrew.cmu.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Hi all.

Recently, there was a tread about getting pgp to the masses.  There was
a general consenus that nice GUIs are needed to get pgp used by the
masses.  THere needs to be a MS Windows version that is easy to use.

The bast way to go about doing this is to turn pgp into a library that
other programmers can link into thier code.  Once the library is
finished, people could roll GUIs for every platform out there.  FOr
example, under MS Windows, if a pgp DLL (Dynamic Link Library) existed,
we could use something as simple as Visual Basic to make an easy-to-use
front end for pgp.  It also shouldn't be so difficult to incoporate a
pgp library into various mailers and newsreaders.

Now, I'm not one of those who dream up some grandiose idea and then
expect someone else to do it.  I plan to make (or at least try) a pgp
library.  However, I am rather new to all this, so I could use some
advice:

1)  I going to use C++ for this.  Are there any platforms that do not
have a c++ compiler, or is there any other good reason to stick with C.

2)  Should I use the MIT version or the pgp2.6ui version as a starting
point?  I am in the United States.

3)  Assuming I complete this, how do I release the code without having
somebody break down my door? (the export and patent nonsense.  Isn't
living in america dandy :-)



_____________________________________________________________________________
 
 Tim Nali            \  "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of
 tn0s@andrew.cmu.edu  \   the dreams" -Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory