An RSA encryption and uuencoding/uudecoding application from 2002.
Document version as of December 18, 2002
Note: Key files and encrypted data files generated by version 0.0.0 are incompatible with version 0.1.0+. But there is a menu option for upgrading old keys to the new file format.
- Create a small text file that contains your name, the name of the intended recipient of your message, and the current date. You can also include the current time and your physical location, if you wish. E.g.:
Message for John Smith. Sent by Bob Jones on January 1, 2003.
- Encrypt the text file with your private key. Give the generated file a name, such as 20030101_1024a.hlx, where "1024a" indicates the encryption key that you used (if you have published multiple keys).
- UUEncode the file. Give the generated file a name, such as 20030101_1024a.uue
- Do one of the following steps:
- If your main message is a single text file, paste the contents of the .uue file into the message, usually at the bottom. For Helix 0.1.0, it is important that no line above the UUEncoded material starts with the word "begin".
- If you are sending binary material or multiple files, use WinZip or something similar to combine the file(s) that you are sending with the .uue file.
- Encrypt the message (the single text file or the zipped archive) with your recipient's public key, and send it.
- Decrypt the message with your private key.
- UUDecode the signature data into a .hlx file.
- Decrypt the signature .hlx file with the sender's public key, and read the resulting plain text.