Outstanding question - rule on cleartext signing last line

[Ian G <[e-mail]>]

Daniel A. Nagy wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 08, 2005 at 09:52:52AM +0000, Ian G wrote:
> 
> 
>>(I never did see a resolution to that question?
>>What then was the rule on the last newline?)
> 
> 
> In order for the cleartext signed message to verify, there is no need to add
> another newline; the standard allows for text messages where the last line
> is not terminated. GPG actually REMOVES the last newline, if the input comes
> from the console, in order to allow for cleartext messages with an
> unterminated last line. I like this feature a lot.
> 
> If terminating the last newline is not required, then one-pass signed and
> clearsigned text messages can be converted back-and-forth without access to
> the secret key (or any cryptography, for that matter). I think this feature
> is worth preserving.
> 
> Thus, I propose not requiring the termination of the last line (and not
> terminating it automagically).

So, what you are proposing is that when
an unterminated message is signed:

-----BEGIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----

this message was signed unterminated
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
b1ab1a
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

It recovers as "this message was signed unterminated"
as it went in?  And then this becomes:


-----BEGIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----

this message was already terminated

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
b1ab1a
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

which extracts as "this message was already terminated
" (i.e., preserving its one newline).



OK, I'd be happy with that.  As long as it is a solid
rule.

But I think we need to hear from the PGP Inc and GPG
architects on this?

iang