From: mixmaster@remail.obscura.com (Mixmaster)
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 04:50:12 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Jena Remailer
Message-ID: <199609271630.JAA24185@sirius.infonex.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


 wmono@Direct.CA wrote:

 w> On Sun, 22 Sep 1996, Mixmaster wrote:

 >> Can any native English speaker please paraphrase the account
 >> start-up procedure for us?

 w> I took a stab at re-writing the help file, and I've attached it below.
 w> The operator of jena might want to use it instead of the help file
 w> currently being distributed, after correcting any errors and adding
 w> the German sections back in.

OK, it's an improvement, but there's still some obscurity and a couple
of other problems:

 w> I believe these instructions are correct -- I was able to follow them
 w> to create a nym, and use it.  YMMV.

So far I have had no luck, but this may be due to a mail lag, I dunno...

 w>     * The hexadecimal key-ID forms the Email address.  For example,
        if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:
        anon-01020304@as-node.jena.thur.de

Already a confusion:  Is not the address pseudonym@as-node.jena.thur.de?

And, since the key ID is an eight-digit hex number, why the confusing

        "...if the nym's key is 0x01020304, the address will be:"
                                ^^
...or am I missing something already?

 w>     * The user-ID of the key contains the pseudonym, only.  Note:
        This is different from the convention, which is to include the
        Email address in angle brackets.

OK, so if I understand this properly, when prompted for an account name
in PGP one simply enters

        pseudonym

...with no quotes or address ("pseudonym" <pseudonym@someplace.net>).

 w> If the signature is valid, the decrypted body should be a header for
 w> the outbound mail, followed by a blank line, then the body for the
 w> outbound mail.  The following are headers considered valid by the
 w> server:

 w>  * Subject: (or Anon-Subject:)

 w>  * To: (or Anon-To:)

 w>  * Newsgroups: (or Post-To: or Anon-Post-To:)

The header fields in parens are identical in function or not?

 w>  - Run 'pgp -esa -u "pseudonym" anon@as-node anonid.asc' to sign and
 w>     encrypt the extracted key for the server.

These various command lines in the helpfile do not work in the pre-legal
PGP 2.6/uix/ui versions preferred by many, though equivalent command
lines of course exist.

 w>  - Test your nym by posting to a test group (de.test is recommended
       due to the location of the server) and wait several days before
       requesting mail delivery.

Well, the sent message didn't show up in the newsgroup here, but there
are often lengthy delays anyway...

 w>  - If it didn't work, repeat the entire procedure.  It's possible that
       the key-ID already exists in the server's database and belongs to
       another pseudonym.

The procedure didn't produce results for me so far, but before trying
again I wish to get confirmation that I am trying properly:

(Shortform directions)

        1:  Generate key with simple, one-word pseudonym, no quotes, no
            address, no nothing.

        2:  Generate -kxa keyfile, pseudo.asc

        3:  -esa encrypt keyfile with Jenaer Remailer's PGP key and send
            to anon@as-node.jena.thur.de via a remailer.

        4:  Account is automatically established and should work
            immediately.

To test...

        1:  Prepare message textfile according to sample:

                Newsgroups: de.test
                Subject: Test

                This is the test message textbody...

            [or, alternately...]

                To: de.test@news.demon.co.uk
                Subject: Test

                This is the test message textbody...

        2:  PGP encrypt the filebody and two header lines with the Jenaer
            Remailer's key using the -esa command, signing the cyphertext
            with your key previously sent to the remailer.

        3:  Send the resulting cyphertext message to the Jenaer Remailer
            via another remailer, making sure to avoid command words in
            the Subject: field of the outgoing message.

As I say, following these protocols I have not yet seen a resulting
message in the test group I have chosen.  Do you feel this is due to
lag, or am I doing something obviously wrong?

 w> 2E.request Email to be delivered?

[...]

 w> - Never request a delivery to your real Email address.

So here's what I really want to know:  When/if the new account is up and
running, how _does_ one discreetly retrieve his mail?  I don't see how,
other than to have it sent to alt.anonymous.messages via a mail2news
netmail address such as alt.anonymous.messages@news.demon.co.uk and then
pick through the mess there until some cyphertext message responds to
his right key.

Either that or else have it sent to yet another pseudonymous account,
with all the uncertainties and delivery vicissitudes that entails.