File: README.html

package info (click to toggle)
topal 0.7.13.3-2
  • links: PTS
  • area: contrib
  • in suites: sarge
  • size: 636 kB
  • ctags: 57
  • sloc: ada: 6,552; sh: 196; makefile: 125; ansic: 111
file content (791 lines) | stat: -rw-r--r-- 32,872 bytes parent folder | download
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>
`Topal': GPG/Pine integration
</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>

<HR>

<H1>`Topal': GPG/Pine integration</H1>

Copyright (C) 2001--2003  Phillip J. Brooke

<HR>

<H2>Contents</H2>

<UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#introduction">Introduction</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#features">Features</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#important-changes">Important Changes from Previous Stable Versions</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#inst-and-config">Installation and Configuration</A>
<UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#comp-and-inst">Compilation and Installation</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#pine-config">Pine Configuration</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#mailcap-config">Mailcap Configuration</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#topal-config">Topal Configuration</A>
</UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#topal-usage">Topal Usage</A>
<UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#topal-help">Help!</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#interactive-config">Interactive Configuration</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#decrypt-verify">Decryption/Verification</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#sending">Sending</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#nonpine">Command-line usage</A>
</UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#additional-programs">Additional Programs</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#notes">Notes</A>
<UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#pinehack">The Pine hack, and sending other attachments</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#keyids">Key IDs</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#errors">Errors</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#decrypt-attachments">Decrypting attachments</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#cleaning-cache">Cleaning up the cache</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#new-releases">New releases</A>
</UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#author">Author</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#license">License</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#todo">To do</A>
<LI> <A HREF="#changes">Version History</A>
<UL>
<LI> <A HREF="#last-changes">Most recent changes</A>
</UL>
</UL>

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="introduction">Introduction</A></H2>

Topal is a `glue' program that links 
<A HREF="http://www.gnupg.org">GnuPG</A>
and 
<A HREF="http://www.washington.edu/pine/">Pine</A>.  It offers
facilities to encrypt, decrypt, sign and verify emails.  See the list
of <A HREF="#features">features</A> below.

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="features">Features</A></H2>

<!-- Don't remove the next line -- or its counterpart later on! -->
<!-- FL -->

<UL>
<LI> In-place decryption/verification, dealing with multiple blocks
embedded in text.
<LI> Caching of output to reduce need for passphrase (at expense of
storing decrypts and verification output).
<LI> Receiving of MIME RFC2015 multipart/signed and
multipart/encrypted messages.  (Top-level multipart items need some help from a script,
topal-fix-email, invoked by procmail.)  These features are available
to any program that uses .mailcap files.
<LI> Sending of MIME RFC2015 multipart/signed and multipart/encrypted
messages.  (Needs a patch to Pine.)
<LI> Sending and receiving of the old application/pgp content-type
(sending requires the same patch as the previous item).
<LI> Offers user the opportunity to check output before sending it.
<LI> Rich configuration options.
<LI> Shortcuts for selecting keys, as well as general key selection
routines when sending email.
<LI> Few arbitrary limits.
</UL>

<!-- FL -->

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="important-changes">Important Changes from Previous Stable Versions</A></H2>

The previous stable releases were 0.7.2, 0.7.8 and 0.7.9.

<H3>Important Changes in Version 0.7.10</H3>

The recommended procmail recipe has been changed.

<H3>Important Changes in Version 0.7.8</H3>

topal-fix-email and topal-fix-folder have been replaced by the
main topal binary.  Change <TT>topal-fix-email</TT> in your .procmailrc to be
<TT>topal --fix-email</TT>.  (Or add symlinks: the binary checks what it has been called as.)

<P>

You <EM>must</EM> clear your cache otherwise the changes made for
inline-separate-output (added in version 0.7.8) will break (this occurs regardless of whether
the option is on or off).  This new feature shows the GnuPG/Topal
output separately, then hands back the decrypted or verified output
without any wrappers.  This makes it more suitable for dealing with
attachments (but you need to set it manually via <TT>topal
-config</TT>).

<P>

Finally, the send menu has a new option: `Pass through unchanged'.
This does nothing to the message (except for forcing the content-type
to be text/plain when invoked with -sendmime; this is useful for
dealing with an obscure bug in Pine 4.44).  Moreover, you can
always have Topal invoked for sending.


<HR>

<H2><A NAME="inst-and-config">Installation and Configuration</A></H2>

<H3><A NAME="comp-and-inst">Compilation and Installation</A></H3>

You need a working C compiler and the GNU Ada Compiler (GNAT).  There
is a makefile: simply type `make'.  Type `make install' to see what
files need copying (it doesn't actually do the copy).


<H3><A NAME="pine-config">Pine Configuration</A></H3>

Assuming that the topal binary is installed in /usr/local/bin, set up
the Pine sending & display filters as follows:
<PRE>
display-filters=_BEGINNING("-----BEGIN PGP ")_ /usr/local/bin/topal -display _TMPFILE_ _RESULTFILE_

sending-filters=/usr/local/bin/topal -send _TMPFILE_ _RESULTFILE_ _RECIPIENTS_,
                /usr/local/bin/topal -sendmime _TMPFILE_ _RESULTFILE_ _MIMETYPE_ _RECIPIENTS_
</PRE>
You can choose either or both of the sending filters.  The <TT>-sendmime</TT>
option allows the user to choose the MIME type of the outbound
email. (Legacy fixes are in place that make <TT>-decrypt</TT> and <TT>-verify</TT>
behave the same as <TT>-display</TT>.)
<P>
For -sendmime to work, you will need to patch Pine.  There are patches
for versions 
<A HREF="pine-4.44-patch">4.44</A>,
<A HREF="pine-4.50-patch">4.50</A> 
and
<A HREF="pine-4.53-patch">4.53</A>
of Pine.  (They're all more-or-less the same patch.  It's pretty easy
to apply them against Pine versions 4.51 and 4.52 if you feel so
inclined.)

`<TT>cd</TT>' into the pine4.<I>xx</I> directory and use the command
`<TT>patch -p1 &lt; wherever/the/patch/is</TT>'.

<P>

It doesn't seem to have broken anything else....  It seems to work for
sending via an SMTP server - it might break for sending via
/usr/lib/sendmail (if it does, please send me a debug trace by
invoking pine with `<TT>-d 9</TT>').

<H3><A NAME="mailcap-config">Mailcap Configuration</A></H3>

To decode MIME RFC2015 multipart/signed and /encrypted messages
requires the assistance of metamail.  Add in either the user mailcap
configuration (<TT>.mailcap</TT>) or the system configuration
(<TT>/etc/mailcap</TT>) the lines
<PRE>
multipart/signed; /usr/local/bin/topal -mime '%s' '%t'; needsterminal
multipart/encrypted; /usr/local/bin/topal -mime '%s' '%t'; needsterminal
application/pgp; /usr/local/bin/topal -mimeapgp '%s' '%t'; needsterminal
</PRE>

<H3><A NAME="procmail-config">Procmail Configuration</A></H3>

In your procmailrc, add the recipe:
<PRE>
:0fw
| /usr/local/bin/topal --fix-email
</PRE>
I <EM>strongly</EM> advise that you also use one of the backup
recipes from the procmail manual.  See also the notes in 
<A HREF="#additional-programs">additional programs</A>.

<H3><A NAME="topal-config">Topal Configuration</A></H3>

Create a directory called `${HOME}/.topal'.  This is currently
hard-coded into Topal.  Create the basic configuration file by running
topal with the -dump or -default option.  This file should be named `<TT>config</TT>'.
<P>
All .topal files are silently ignored if they cannot be found.
Parsing errors cause an exception.
<P>
If you want to include strings with spaces, you'll need to quote them
with double-quotes (<TT>"</TT>).  Double-quotes themselves can be
included by `stuffing' (<TT>""</TT>).


<HR>

<H2><A NAME="topal-usage">Topal Usage</A></H2>

<H3><A NAME="topal-help">Help!</A></H3>

<TT>-help</TT> as the first argument dumps a help message.
<P>
The help message is derived from the help.txt file (included at
compile time).
<P>
See help.txt for information on <A HREF="#nonpine">non-Pine use of Topal</A>.
<P>
Send <A HREF="#author">email to me</A> if you're really stuck.

<H3><A NAME="interactive-config">Interactive Configuration</A></H3>

<TT>-config</TT> as the first argument brings up the configuration menu.
<P>
This menu is also available when sending (so that the signing key can
be changed).


<H3><A NAME="decrypt-verify">Decryption/Verification</A></H3>

Depending on configuration, Topal will either ignore the file
altogether, ask you what you want to do with it, or proceed to
process the file automatically.
<P>
GPG will ask you for your passphrase when it needs it.
<P>
Caching is in place; the results of decryption and verification are
(subject to configuration) saved in ~/.topal/cache.  The results of
caching mean that you won't be repeatedly asked for your passphrase,
at the expense of storing decrypts in the clear.
<P>
Be warned: Topal often invokes `less' to view something.  So you'll
need to use `q' to get out of it.  `Metamail' is called for anything
after MIME processing.
<P>
A new option (for version 0.7.8) called `inline-separate-output'
concerns inlined (i.e., not MIME) messages.  If the option is on, then
the Topal/GnuPG output will be shown to you by less.  Then the
decrypted or verified output will be handed back to Pine.  This is the
way to approach attachments.  However, you will normally want to keep
this option off, because if you're reading (for example) BugTraq
mailings, then it will want you to hit `q' an awful lot....

<H3><A NAME="sending">Sending</A></H3>

If you choose the `Topal' filter when sending, you will be offered a
menu
<PRE>
  (lkr) List/edit current recipient keys   (@) Add own key 
  (n) Pass through unchanged  (o) Configuration  (q) Abort
  Execute GPG: (e) Encrypt (s) Sign-encrypt (c) Clearsign      
</PRE>
Above that, it will indicate picking up keys for each recipient email
address.  It will also add a key `for self'.
<P>
`Abort' tells Pine you don't want Topal to process the email anymore.
<P>
`Pass through unchanged' does nothing to the message (except for forcing the
content-type to be text/plain when invoked with -sendmime; this is useful for dealing with an
obscure bug in Pine 4.44).  This means that you can always have Topal
invoked for sending.
<P>
`Add own key' adds an `encrypt to self' key.  (It is added by default,
but if you remove it, this is a quick way to restore it.)
<P>
The three `execute GPG' options use the current settings and execute
GPG.  You will be asked to confirm the command-line, and after
processing, less is invoked to visually check that the desired result
has been achieved.  Again, a confirmation is asked for.
<P>
If -sendmime was used, then a menu will ask 
<PRE>
  (p) Inline plain text  (a) application/pgp  (m) multipart/* 
  (q) Abort  
</PRE>
offer a choice of three MIME types.  Don't use (a) unless you really
know what you're doing.  If you are signing and encrypting, a further
choice, <PRE>(e) multipart/* encapsulated</PRE> will be offered.
This encapsulates a MIME signed message inside an encrypted message.
Otherwise, we do both operations at once.  (If you choose `clearsign'
and `multipart/*', then all trailing blank lines will be deleted.
Note also that Pine appears to delete trailing whitespace in trailing
blank lines.)
<P>
`Configuration' offers the same menu that is available from the
-config option.
<P>
`List current recipient keys' offers a list of recipients:
<PRE>
  Select key, or (dq) to quit and return to main send menu
  or (s) to select a key after searching in the main keyring
  or (ak) to add keys from the main keyring (not recommended, use `s')
  Displaying choices 1 to 2 of 1 to 2    (&lt;,) page up   (&gt;.) page down 
   1 - Details: pub  1024D/50973B91 2000-12-19 Dr Phil Brooke (at home) &lt;P.J.Broo
   2 - Details: pub  1024D/16BE903A 2001-02-25 Malcolm Gray &lt;malcolm.gray@jobstre
</PRE>
`Quit and return to main send menu' sends you back to the first menu. 
<P>
`Add key from main keyring' prompts you for a search pattern.  It will
do a general search on your GPG keyring.  Beware of just pressing
enter - it will select <EM>all</EM> keys on your keyring.
<P>
A better alternative is to use the `select after search' option.  This
also does a search on your GPG keyring, but then you must select
one key to be added to your list of recipients.
<P>
Selecting a key will offer a third menu (a similar menu is offered
when selecting a single key):
<PRE>
  Key: Details: pub  1024D/50973B91 2000-12-19 Dr Phil Brooke (at home) &lt;P.J.Broo
  (d) Display details of key with less, (v) Verbosely
  (r) Remove key from list   (kql) Return to key list  
</PRE>
`Return to key list' takes you back to the second menu.  
<P>
`Display details of key (less)' simply uses GPG to list the
key details via less.  You'll need to use `q' to get out of less.
<P>
`Verbose details of key (less)' pipes verbose output from GPG for this
key into gpg.  You'll need to use `q' to get out of less.
<P>
`Remove key from list' removes the key from this recipient list.


<H2><A NAME="nonpine">Command-line usage</A></H2>

If you invoke Topal on the command-line with a filename as an
argument, it will offer the sending functions on that file.  It
doesn't actually send anything: instead it allows you to encrypt,
sign, etc. the message.  You have a choice of overwriting or
preserving the original file (this bit is case-sensitive).
<P>
The main purpose of this mode is for encrypting or signing attachments
before they are attached to the message in Pine.  Beware that Pine
does not feed the attachments to a sending filter.
<P>
MIME functions are not available in this mode: it makes no sense.

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="additional-programs">Additional Modes</A></H2>

Two scripts used to be included with topal: topal-fix-email and
topal-fix-folder.  They have been replaced by the <TT>--fix-email</TT>
and <TT>--fix-folder</TT> command-line options to the main binary.
<P>
<TT>topal --fix-email</TT> modifies any email that is (at the top level) a
multipart/signed or multipart/encrypted message.  It creates a
multipart/alternative message.  The revised message contains the first
part of the original message as one alternative, then the entire
original message as an alternative part.  Pine can cope with invoking
Topal on the (original) subpart.  Confused?  (It probably isn't clever
for /encrypted mail, but at least Topal can get at it.)
<P>
Usage: 
<DL>
<DT><TT>topal --fix-folder</TT> &lt;folder&gt; ...</DT> <DD>This fixes the old
email folders you may have.</DD>
<DT><TT>topal --fix-email</TT></DT> <DD>Takes no arguments; it accepts a single
email on stdin.  Ideally, it should be invoked by procmail (see the
<A HREF="#procmail-config">configuration section</A> above).
</DL>
<P>
<TT>topal --fix-email</TT> has a simpler mode (<TT>--simple</TT>) where it
pretends that there are two MIME content types:
`application/x-topal-encrypted' and `application/x-topal-signed'.  You
might prefer using this.

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="notes">Notes</A></H2>

<H3><A NAME="pinehack">The Pine patch, and sending other attachments</A></H3>

What does the patch to Pine do?  It removes some of the safety
checking when changing the content-type (_MIMETYPE_) in a filter.
Normally, if the returned content-type is not text/*, then the entire
content-type is dropped.
<P>
The patch instead adds a flag, `topal_hack', and sets this if the
returned content-type is not text.  From time-to-time, we 
pretend that the body is normal text.  We take a little care to check
if this message is already a multipart message, so hopefully, the normal
sending of attachments still works.

<H3><A NAME="keyids">Key IDs</A></H3>

Topal internally lists keys by their fingerprint.  It uses GPG to look
up key fingerprints by using whatever GPG can cope with.
<P>
Duplicate keys are silently suppressed.  Removing a key only removes
one instance, if somehow you've coerced Topal to list duplicates
(which is quite easy, since adding a key with its short key ID, and
the same key with its fingerprint will add two identical keys).
<P>
The way that Topal chooses the keys is as follows:
<P>
<UL>
<LI>  For each recipient email address (supplied by Pine)
<OL>
<LI>    For each matching line in keylist, use the key ID to get a fingerprint, and add the key to the list.
<LI>    In there are no matching lines in keylist, try to get a
fingerprint via just that email address (but exclude `xk'
configuration entries).
</OL>
</UL>
<P>
The keylist is a way to say, `for this particular email address, use
this particular key'.


<H3><A NAME="errors">Errors</A></H3>

Bad things happening should result in Topal setting its exit status to
`failed', so Pine should detect this and not send your email.
<P>
Bug reports are welcome: send them by email to me (contact details below).

<H3><A NAME="decrypt-attachments">Decrypting attachments</A></H3>

If an attachment is a plaintext PGP ASCII-armoured message, then Topal
will be invoked by Pine.  You probably want to say `no' when asked
here (beware of the configuration options here).  Otherwise, you'll
get a decrypted file with the original attachment filename, plus the
various Topal headers.

<H3><A NAME="cleaning-cache">Cleaning up the cache</A></H3>

You might want to run something like
<PRE>
find ${HOME}/.topal/cache -mtime +7 | xargs rm
</PRE>
to remove all the cache files that are a bit old (in this example, 7
days old or older).

<H3><A NAME="new-releases">New releases</A></H3>

To be notified of new releases of Topal, send an email to me....

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="author">Author</A></H2>

Phil Brooke wrote this, partially out of boredom, but mostly because
he wanted a GPG/Pine add-on to do exactly what he wants.  There are
many similar programs. 
<P>
If you like this program, please tell me.  If you'd like it better
with changes, please tell me what changes you want.  If particular
items on the <A HREF="#todo">`To do' list</A> are important to you, let me know.  In
particular, if you find bugs, feel free to tell me the details by
email.
<P>
This package is released under the GPL: see the file <A HREF="COPYING">COPYING</A>.
<P>
I can be emailed on 
<A HREF="mailto:pjb@lothlann.freeserve.co.uk"><TT>pjb@lothlann.freeserve.co.uk</TT></A>
<P>
My key ID is 0x50973B91; the key is available from web pages and public key
servers.
<P>
If you want to send snailmail to me, email me for my (physical) address.

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="license">License</A></H2>

    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
    (at your option) any later version.
    <P>
    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
    GNU General Public License for more details.
    <P>
    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="todo">To do...</A></H2>

<UL>
<LI> Fix these known/reported bugs:
<UL>
<LI> `Pine indicating both text elements as shown' problem -
no obvious reason for it, though.
<LI> Very rarely, some Topal-munged multipart/signed messages aren't
handed off to Pine.  Not obvious why, yet.
</UL>
<LI> Add signal handlers.
<LI> Catch GPG keyboard interrupt.
<LI> Should we check that the infile matches the cache file even if
the MD5 hash matches?  (We'd need to store the infile in the cache as well.)
<LI> Check through code: all external calls should check return
values.  General clean-up.
<LI> Add pkcs7 signatures via SSL?
<LI> Use mimeconstruct to attach attachments that are then signed/encrypted/whatever?
<LI> Add interrupt option at very beginning of execution?  (which
would bring up the configuration menu?)
<LI> Associate extra options with particular keys?
<LI> Configuration routine for managing keys/config/keylist?
<LI> Implement rest of configuration menu.
<LI> Make a much nicer interface all round....
<LI> Separate out all the constant strings -- so that we can have internationalization.
<LI> Context-sensitive help throughout (modify mkhelp to create multiple
   procedures, or do it by number?); add COPYING option?
<LI> More receiving/decrypt options: include both plaintext and
ciphertext.
<LI> Add periodic cache cleanup when Topal is invoked?
<LI> Add logging for workaround mode (report time of email processing (include PID); indicate if the file was changed or not)?
</UL>

<HR>

<H2><A NAME="changes">Version History</A></H2>

Look in <A HREF="release">release</A> for the current release number.

<DL>
<DT>06/2001, 0.1</DT> <DD>First alpha release.</DD>

<DT>06/2001, 0.2</DT> <DD>Minor changes.</DD>

<DT>06/2001, 0.3</DT> <DD>Major changes to how keys are identified and
looked up.</DD>

<DT>06/2001, 0.4</DT> <DD>Adding more customization features.</DD>

<DT>11/2001, 0.4.4</DT> <DD>Cleaned up some error messages; added -nps
mode.</DD>

<DT>11/2001, 0.4.5</DT> <DD>Added `gpg-options' config item with
default `--no-options'.  (Forgot to add this note as well....)</DD>

<DT>11/2001, 0.5.0</DT> <DD>Dumped -verify and -decrypt modes in
favour of the multiple-block `-display' mode.  Added -help.  Added
caching.  Added more switches relating to caching.  Better output
formatting.</DD>

<DT>11/2001, 0.5.1</DT> <DD>Improved menus.  Tidied up some of the
interface.  Added -s, which does the same as -nps.</DD>

<DT>12/2001, 0.5.2</DT> <DD>Tidied disclaimer.  Added synonyms for
-help (-h, -?, --help, --h) Cleaned up menus; keypresses aren't echoed
any longer.</DD>

<DT>12/2001, 0.5.3</DT> <DD>Altered packaging to include version in
directory name.  Changed names of some -clear options to be a bit more
sensible.  Changing config settings method (big change).  Making -s
the default operation.  Some rearrangement of code, constants.  Some
configuration editing possible via Topal.  Send has access to
configuration menu.  </DD>

<DT>12/2001, 0.5.4</DT> <DD>Bug fix; one-off error in the sending
menus.</DD>

<DT>12/2001, 0.5.5</DT> <DD>Removed redundant examples directory.
Changed over to HTML documentation.  Tweaked the RELEASE stuff.  Use
space instead of enter when waiting to continue: this looks forward to
offering a help option at every prompt.  The receive/blocks
stuff now uses an expanding array.  The GPG return value is checked
when receiving: if it's bad, then some bits of the output are omitted;
the cache file is not written.  The date bit of Topal output moved
onto the previous line (echo -n blah blah).</DD>

<DT>12/2001, 0.5.6</DT> <DD>Adding installation instructions.  Using
tee and PIPESTATUS to get stderr on screen during receiving while also
saving that output and recording gpg's exit status.  Changed RELEASE
filename to release.  Tidied up the Makefile.  Invalid passphrase
messages are grep'd out of the output.  Added `fast continue' options.
Key lists in the configuration section now use expanding arrays.
Changed key details selection message.  Secret key selection now
offers a menu of secret keys on the secret keyring.  Initial recipient
search excludes keys in XK list.  Added key search/selection menu
choice - much nicer to use than the add menu.  More configuration
stuff added (still more to do, although the config file can always be
used).  Partial documentation update.</DD>

<DT>2/2002, 0.5.7</DT> <DD>Adding limited RFC2015/MIME decoding of
multipart email.</DD>

<DT>2/2002, 0.5.8</DT> <DD>Adding mime-construct to configuration in
expectation of more RFC2015 features.  Put test for the config file
existing before actually attempting to read it (oops).  Added -O2
-Wall and the TOPALDEBUG variable for compiling. Put up WWW page via
own Freeserve site.  Announcing via Freshmeat.  Automating output WWW
site generation (all the grunge in the Makefile).

<DT>3/2002, 0.6.0</DT> <DD>Distribution uses a gzip'd binary now....
Added a pre-built binary that is statically linked against the GNAT
stuff so that people don't need to acquire GNAT first (this, I
believe, complies with the GNAT licence).  <P> Added the scripts
topal-fix-email and topal-fix-folder.  This makes it a lot easier to
work with other people's multipart/signed or /encrypted email.
Procmail recipe added to this README.<P>Added display of
application/pgp messages.  Including the text of one of these in a
reply might be difficult, but then, it was difficult without topal's
mangling.  At least they can be verified and read now.<P>-sendmime
option added. Hack needed (in topal-pine-patch [now pine-4.44-patch])
to allow non-text/blah content-types in Pine.  RFC2015 send and
received done (including micalg detection when sending clearsigned
messages: list used from RFC3156.).  Ditto for application/pgp, but
I'm not sure of some of the parameters, since I've only ever seen
signed emails of this form.<P>Removed some of the waits for execution,
since it seems reliable.  Added error checking on return value of GPG
in sends.</DD>

<DT>3/2002, 0.6.1</DT> <DD>The Content-Type for MIME sending is
displayed on the screen using `cat' rather than `less', which was
getting to be annoying.<P>Two changes that are related to how I
manage the source code: Slight tweak to makefile for keeping track
of RCS files; and using rcs -n&lt;symbolic-name&gt; to tag the
released files.</DD>

<DT>3/2002, 0.6.2</DT> <DD>MIME clear-signed messages: trailing blank
lines are now deleted before signing (this would cause BAD signature
when verifying on some other MTAs).  Added remarks to documentation
about the patch to Pine and attachments.</DD>

<DT>4/2002, 0.6.3</DT> <DD>RFC1847 multipart encapsulation added.
(See section 6.1 of RFC3156.)  Cleaned up related receiving/caching
behaviour.<P>Another MIME clear-signed messages bugfix.  This one
sorts out line-end conventions correctly.  <P>New patch for Pine: this
stops a SEGFAULT when using RFC2015 stuff and other attachments at the
same time.<P>Updated documentation; added man pages for the two scripts.</DD>

<DT>4/2002, 0.6.4</DT> <DD>New patch for Pine.  Adds a workaround for
the problem where some versions of MS Exchange would silently lose
inbound MIME clearsigned email.  It turns out that a slight formatting
change stops the problem.</DD>

<DT>5/2002, 6/2002; 0.6.5, 0.6.6, 0.6.7, 0.6.8</DT> <DD>Adding more debugging,
mostly to the menus code.  Used for tracking down a nasty problem
causing exceptions.  Many thanks to Felix Madlener for pointing this
out and testing the revised code.</DD>

<DT>7/2002, 0.6.9</DT><DD>Renamed the Pine patch for when new versions
come out.  (It's still the same patch as for Topal 0.6.4.)  Added trap
for non-existent file when using `-s'.  Cache directory as well as
.topal directory is also chmod'd to 700.  Added README.txt to package
file (even though it's generated from the .html) so that those who
just want to `less' it (instead of firing up a HTML reader) can do so.</DD>

<DT>8/2002, 0.7.0</DT><DD>Changed email address in man page.  Lots more
exception handling for extra info when something goes wrong.  Moderate
code reorganisation: mostly splitting blocks of code out for future
work.  Fixed `bug' (feature?) where send fails if a public key is
unusable (although this may risk sending plaintext through; we assume
that if an output file was generated, then the GPG errors weren't
fatal).  Now we check instead if the output file exists.  Checking all
source files for any similar bugs in menus (cf. the 5/2002 entry).
Modified MIME RFC2015 receiving function so that it isn't so reliant
on shell calls of sed (which can fall over with nasty characters in an
incoming emails boundary).  Moreover, it can now cope with MIME parts
that don't end with a newline.  Tweaking MIME/verify cache handling:
we shouldn't actually get an output file from GPG (since we're only
verifying one part with the other); we put a vague warning if this
happens, and trap when reading the cache.  Added content-type to
plaintext for MIME/encrypted.  Documentation update.</DD>

<DT>8/2002, 0.7.1</DT><DD>Fixed minor bug with inverted return code
(`-s' trap).  Doc update.</DD>

<DT>9/2002, 0.7.2</DT><DD>Fixed minor bug in key list handling code
(dealing with key selection).</DD>

<DT>9/2002; 0.7.3, 0.7.4 (BETA)</DT><DD>Disposed of the dependency on a shell by
introducing Ada bindings for fork/exec/dup/pipe/glob, etc..  Several
external binaries are no longer needed (cat, echo).  Most return codes
are now properly checked (although still need to do a better audit).
Followed Eduardo Chappa's advice and changed Pine patch version
letter.  Miscellaneous cleanups and fixes.  Many thanks to Peter
Losher for giving me the incentive to sort out the external calls.</DD>

<DT>9/2002; 0.7.5 (BETA)</DT><DD>Tidying up structure of external calls, and
how the various messages are built up and torn down.  Changed the lynx
switches at the suggestion of Felix Madlener (many thanks!).  When
receiving MIME encrypted attachments, the output is not included in
the Topal output, but only in the metamail invocation.</DD>

<DT>10/2002; 0.7.6 (BETA)</DT><DD>Explicitly noted which versions are
not intended for general use (beta versions).  Rearranged command line
parsing for more flexibility in future.</DD>

<DT>10/2002; 0.7.7 (BETA)</DT><DD>Re-implementing topal-fix-email and
topal-fix-folder as part of the main topal binary.  This removes the
(script) dependency on munpack, but adds formail and diff to the main
binary.  Fixed some missing bits for particular binaries in
configuration handling.  Adding `important changes from last stable
version' documentation.  Tweaked the body extraction procedure.
Tweaked some output messages.  Major changes to menus: they now use
enumerated types rather than integers....  Tweaking cl_menu some
more.  Added `pass-thu' option to send menu (so you can always use the
Topal filter.  This might also fix the minor problem with text/html
occasionally being sent when it shouldn't be....)  Fixed bug where
MIME decrypt failure would still cause metamail to be invoked, but
that's a waste of time.</DD>

<DT>10/2002; 0.7.8</DT><DD>Clearing out case statements with `when
others'.  Tidying up sending.adb.  Fixed problem in MIME output where
a leading blank line was added.  Finally implemented `topal
--fix-folders' functionality added.  No longer need the two old
scripts (I hope)!  Another documentation tidy-up.  Added
`inline-separate-output' option: this effectively turns off the GnuPG/Topal
wrappers in output.  However, the side-effect is that the cache must
be cleared when upgrading to this version.
</DD>

<DT>11/2002; 0.7.9</DT><DD>Added some infrastructure for
encrypting/signing attachments (but this is nowhere near working yet).
Documentation and manpage update (again).  Seems stable, will release.
</DD>

<DT>2/2003; 0.7.10, 0.7.11</DT><DD>Tweaking distribution pages (mkdistrib).
Including patches against Pine versions 4.50 and 4.53.  (They're all
more-or-less the same patch.  It's pretty
easy to apply them against 4.51 and 4.52 if you feel so inclined.)
Further doc clean up (particular the stuff about important changes
from previous stable versions).  Implemented Felix M.'s suggestion for
handling non-existant command-line options: things that aren't valid
options, but are prefixed with a `-' get a more helpful error
message.  --fix-email workaround also writes out the original input in 
the exception handler.  Changed recommended procmail recipe so that
Topal's exit code is checked.
</DD>

<DT>2/2003; 0.7.12</DT><DD>Adding `workaround-error-log' file to
.topal. This accepts output from topal --fix-email when it fails to
exit cleanly.  Not quite clear if this bit works yet (was tracking
down other problem).  It appears that when running without a real
terminal, the call to set_echo fails.  Odd.  Nasty workaround
implemented.
</DD>

<DT>2/2002; 0.7.13</DT><DD>Added missing includes to ada-echo-c.c.
Perhaps related to issue in the previous entry.</DD>

<A NAME="last-changes">
<!-- Don't remove the next line -- or its counterpart later on! -->
<!-- MRC -->

<DT>4/2003; 0.7.13b</DT><DD>Bug fix release only - backported from
(not-yet-released 0.8.0).  Fixed bug when
changing own signing key using the -config option - thanks to Stewart
James for the bug report.  </DD>

<DT>10/2003; 0.7.13.2</DT><DD>Bug fix release only - backported from
(not-yet-released 0.8.0).  Changed bug fix versioning scheme.
Makefile now links properly against static GNAT runtime.  Fixed
problem which manifests as: `relocation error: /lib/libreadline.so.4:
undefined symbol: BC' (needed instruction to link against ncurses) -
thanks to Marty Hoff for the bug report. Added patch against Pine
version 4.58.</DD>

<DT>10/2003; 0.7.13.3</DT><DD>Now use -gnatwa and -gnato for all Ada
compilation.  It was omitted from the main binary build command
before.  Fixed all the resulting warnings.</DD>

<!-- MRC --> 

</A>

</DL>

<HR>

</BODY>
</HTML>