[Enigmail] GPG-AGENT preferences

[Patrick Brunschwig]

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Dirk Wetter wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> the logic -- if I understand everything correctly --
> behind when to use gpg-agent and when not doesn't
> make sense to me. This seems to be one of the cases
> where a program wants to be smarter than me, a human. :-)
> 
> A real world case: I have a Suse 10.3 system here
> where through some magic I do not understand -- and
> I do not care -- the GPG_AGENT_INFO environment variable is set.
> However there's no gpg-agent started/it died/whatsoever. Besides:
> Also if there would be one: heck, I don't want to use
> it. Also the config in TB/EM say "please don't use it, I
> don't want it". Why is that overridden?
> 
> My suggestion is to give the power of decision whether to use
> the agent or not the switch "use gpg-agent for passphrase
> handling" --- as people would expect -- and not the existence
> of an environment variable.

The problem is not so easy than you think. It's true, it currently looks
like Enigmail refuses to accept what the user wants (which is basically
true). The reason for to implement it this way is because with GnuPG v2,
the use of gpg-agent is mandatory, i.e. GnuPG v2 does not work properly
if the gpg-agent doesn't work. Given this, I have decided to start to
adopt to GnuPG v2, and make use of gpg-agent whenever either
GPG_AGENT_INFO is set, or if GnuPG v2 is detected.

In addition to the above, the use of gpg-agent has another advantage: it
solves the problem of having several keys with different passwords.

If you don't want to use gpg-agent, then you must unset GPG_AGENT_INFO.

- -Patrick
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