Fwd: Mistake in section 5.3, also in RFC2440

Jon Callas <jon@callas.org> Mon, 08 May 2006 22:30 UTC

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From: Jon Callas <jon@callas.org>
Subject: Fwd: Mistake in section 5.3, also in RFC2440
Date: Mon, 08 May 2006 15:04:20 -0700
To: OpenPGP <ietf-openpgp@imc.org>
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I forgot to reply-all

	Jon

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jon Callas <jon@callas.org>
> Date: 8 May 2006 2:40:03 PM PDT
> To: Hal Finney <hal@finney.org>
> Subject: Re: Mistake in section 5.3, also in RFC2440
>
>
> On 25 Apr 2006, at 7:28 PM, Hal Finney wrote:
>
>>
>> I noticed that the language in section 5.3 on Symmetric-Key Encrypted
>> Session Key packets is not right:
>>
>> 5.3. Symmetric-Key Encrypted Session Key Packets (Tag 3)
>>
>>     The Symmetric-Key Encrypted Session Key packet holds the
>>     symmetric-key encryption of a session key used to encrypt a  
>> message.
>>     Zero or more Encrypted Session Key packets and/or Symmetric-Key
>>     Encrypted Session Key packets may precede a Symmetrically  
>> Encrypted
>>     Data Packet that holds an encrypted message.
>>
>> The second sentence should begin "Zero or more Public-Key Encrypted
>> Session Key packets and/or Symmetric-Key Encrypted Session Key  
>> Packets..."
>> It left off "Public-Key" and just refers to "Encrypted Session Key
>> packets" which is not a packet type.  In particular, referring to
>> "Encrypted Session Key packets and/or Symmetric-Key Encrypted Session
>> Key Packets" is incoherent.
>>
>> The langage in 5.1, for comparsion:
>>
>> 5.1. Public-Key Encrypted Session Key Packets (Tag 1)
>>
>>     A Public-Key Encrypted Session Key packet holds the session  
>> key used
>>     to encrypt a message. Zero or more Encrypted Session Key packets
>>     (either Public-Key or Symmetric-Key) may precede a Symmetrically
>>     Encrypted Data Packet, which holds an encrypted message.
>>
>> This is not ideal in terms of the packet names; you have to mentally
>> move the prefixes listed in the parenthesis up and put them in  
>> front of
>> Encrypted Session Key.  But given that slight lapse in clarity, it is
>> basically correct, and is not as bad as 5.3.
>>
>> All this language is unchanged since RFC2440.
>>
>> I do think we should fix at least 5.3, because the present wording is
>> meaningless and confusing.  If we do that I'd suggest changing the  
>> 2nd
>> sentence of 5.1 to match that of 5.3.
>>
>> Hal Finney
>>
>
> Done.
>
> 	Jon

Mistake in section 5.3, also in RFC2440 "Hal Finney"
Fwd: Mistake in section 5.3, also in RFC2440 Jon Callas