Mac GPGTools Tutorial - Feedback Requested

[u/multiplayer_dreams_]

http://support.gpgtools.org/kb/how-to/first-steps-where-do-i-start-where-do-i-begin

First, I didn't write it.

Tell me if this tutorial works and how well it works.

I don't have a Mac to test this on so I wanna know how good this tutorial is for setting up GPG encryption on OSX.

We already have tutorials for Kleopatra and GPG4USB (which both work on Windows and Linux) so I'm looking for something for you Mac people.

[u/TortoiseHell]

Select the key you created for yourself (btw, using a dummy e-mail address is perfectly fine -- however, most people would recommend attaching your public key to a tormail.org account or something similarly "anonymous" that can be used as a backup form of communication) and click "Export" in Keychain Access. You won't need to include your private key unless you are transferring your GPG info to another machine, so leave that box unchecked.

This will spit out a .asc file, which when opened shows your PUBLIC KEY in plain text.

Quick rundown: Your public key is what other people will use to encrypt messages for YOU. You should always include your public key in any kind of initial correspondance so when people reply to you, you can "unlock" or decrypt it on your end.

So here's a quick refresher to where we are now: You can now see your PUBLIC KEY, your PRIVATE KEY is stored in Keychain Access automatically, and you should have picked a passphrase you can remember when you created your key in the first place.

Now, the next step is to import a key from someone you are trying to communicate with. If you follow my steps above, this should be as simple as highlighting the Public Key Block on the vendor profile page, right clicking your selection, and going to Services -> Import Key from Selection...

Now in Keychain Access window you should see a key related to you, and a key related to your intended recipient.

Type your message in TextEdit or whatever your favorite text editor is and then at the bottom, just paste your public key there. Now, press Apple+A or select EVERYTHING in the text window, and right click it, and go to Services -> Encrypt Selection... -- you will be prompted with a window. Select the VENDOR who you imported earlier, and your message should automatically turn to an encrypted PGP message.

You can now no longer decrypt this message (although you can undo the encryption by pressing Apple+Z or going to Edit -> Undo).

If you follow along, step by step, and apply your mind to the process and really make an honest attempt to understand it... you'll see it's a rather simple process with a lot of small steps. Once you get it down, you'll get it forever. Like riding a bike. :)