pdf digital signature under linux

Hi, I want to know how to digitally sign my .pdf documents (generated
using pdflatex) under linux?
Hi have a digital signature (from www.cacert.org) and want to use it
with my docs.

Thanks,
Bruno

I'd start with the documentation for the software you have installed
that you will use to perform the signing. Remember, you need to use a
standard that all of your recipients will be able to use to verify the
document is indeed yours.

Try "man gpg" or "man pgp" from a command line, depending on which
product you have installed. Do a search on the web for "signing files"
or something similar to learn more.

You'll probably have to take take your pdf file and run it through a
signing program. All will require your private key to do the signing.
The recipient will need to verify the signature and strip the signing
information out of the file before using it. An alternative is to
produce a checksum (ie SHA1) of the file then sign the checksum. This
works well for an open downloadable file on the web because the
recipient can use the file immediately and verify the checksum if needed.


Phil Sherman


bcochofel wrote:
> Hi, I want to know how to digitally sign my .pdf documents (generated
> using pdflatex) under linux?
> Hi have a digital signature (from www.cacert.org) and want to use it
> with my docs.
>
> Thanks,
> Bruno
>

Phil Sherman wrote:
> I'd start with the documentation for the software you have installed
> that you will use to perform the signing. Remember, you need to use a
> standard that all of your recipients will be able to use to verify the
> document is indeed yours.
>
> Try "man gpg" or "man pgp" from a command line, depending on which
> product you have installed. Do a search on the web for "signing files"
> or something similar to learn more.
>
> You'll probably have to take take your pdf file and run it through a
> signing program. All will require your private key to do the signing.
> The recipient will need to verify the signature and strip the signing
> information out of the file before using it. An alternative is to
> produce a checksum (ie SHA1) of the file then sign the checksum. This
> works well for an open downloadable file on the web because the
> recipient can use the file immediately and verify the checksum if needed.
>
> Phil Sherman
>
> bcochofel wrote:
>> Hi, I want to know how to digitally sign my .pdf documents (generated
>> using pdflatex) under linux?
>> Hi have a digital signature (from www.cacert.org) and want to use it
>> with my docs.

Wow, does the top-poster ever miss the point!

I doubt pdflatex supports signed pdfs. The one thing the top-poster got
right was to check the documentation for whatever you're using to create
pdfs. The only software I've ever seen that supported it was genuine
Adobe, but I've never really needed to look very hard. If the docs
don't go out of the way to point out support for signed pdfs, then the
software probably doesn't support it.

Bottom line: If the software you're using doesn't support signatures,
you need to use different software. The better question is "What pdf
creators support incorporation of signatures?"

Ok, what software can I use to digital signed my pdf's?
I've only use pdflatex because it's the way I know to create pdf's (I
don't like the option of writing in some Word like program and them
export to pdf...) and I like the way one can format a document using
latex.
His there any software that can digital signed a pdf after being
generated by pdflatex?

And Phil, and know how to use gpg thanks, but what I want is to
distribute a pdf with a digital signature not sign the pdf.

Allen Kistler wrote:
> Phil Sherman wrote:
> > I'd start with the documentation for the software you have installed
> > that you will use to perform the signing. Remember, you need to use a
> > standard that all of your recipients will be able to use to verify the
> > document is indeed yours.
> >
> > Try "man gpg" or "man pgp" from a command line, depending on which
> > product you have installed. Do a search on the web for "signing files"
> > or something similar to learn more.
> >
> > You'll probably have to take take your pdf file and run it through a
> > signing program. All will require your private key to do the signing.
> > The recipient will need to verify the signature and strip the signing
> > information out of the file before using it. An alternative is to
> > produce a checksum (ie SHA1) of the file then sign the checksum. This
> > works well for an open downloadable file on the web because the
> > recipient can use the file immediately and verify the checksum if needed.
> >
> > Phil Sherman
> >
> > bcochofel wrote:
> >> Hi, I want to know how to digitally sign my .pdf documents (generated
> >> using pdflatex) under linux?
> >> Hi have a digital signature (from www.cacert.org) and want to use it
> >> with my docs.
>
> Wow, does the top-poster ever miss the point!
>
> I doubt pdflatex supports signed pdfs. The one thing the top-poster got
> right was to check the documentation for whatever you're using to create
> pdfs. The only software I've ever seen that supported it was genuine
> Adobe, but I've never really needed to look very hard. If the docs
> don't go out of the way to point out support for signed pdfs, then the
> software probably doesn't support it.
>
> Bottom line: If the software you're using doesn't support signatures,
> you need to use different software. The better question is "What pdf
> creators support incorporation of signatures?"

bcochofel wrote:
> Ok, what software can I use to digital signed my pdf's?
> I've only use pdflatex because it's the way I know to create pdf's (I
> don't like the option of writing in some Word like program and them
> export to pdf...) and I like the way one can format a document using
> latex.
> His there any software that can digital signed a pdf after being
> generated by pdflatex?
>
> And Phil, and know how to use gpg thanks, but what I want is to
> distribute a pdf with a digital signature not sign the pdf.
>
> Allen Kistler wrote:
>> Phil Sherman wrote:
>>> I'd start with the documentation for the software you have installed
>>> that you will use to perform the signing. Remember, you need to use a
>>> standard that all of your recipients will be able to use to verify the
>>> document is indeed yours.
>>>
>>> Try "man gpg" or "man pgp" from a command line, depending on which
>>> product you have installed. Do a search on the web for "signing files"
>>> or something similar to learn more.
>>>
>>> You'll probably have to take take your pdf file and run it through a
>>> signing program. All will require your private key to do the signing.
>>> The recipient will need to verify the signature and strip the signing
>>> information out of the file before using it. An alternative is to
>>> produce a checksum (ie SHA1) of the file then sign the checksum. This
>>> works well for an open downloadable file on the web because the
>>> recipient can use the file immediately and verify the checksum if needed.
>>>
>>> Phil Sherman
>>>
>>> bcochofel wrote:
>>>> Hi, I want to know how to digitally sign my .pdf documents (generated
>>>> using pdflatex) under linux?
>>>> Hi have a digital signature (from www.cacert.org) and want to use it
>>>> with my docs.
>> Wow, does the top-poster ever miss the point!
>>
>> I doubt pdflatex supports signed pdfs. The one thing the top-poster got
>> right was to check the documentation for whatever you're using to create
>> pdfs. The only software I've ever seen that supported it was genuine
>> Adobe, but I've never really needed to look very hard. If the docs
>> don't go out of the way to point out support for signed pdfs, then the
>> software probably doesn't support it.
>>
>> Bottom line: If the software you're using doesn't support signatures,
>> you need to use different software. The better question is "What pdf
>> creators support incorporation of signatures?"

Don't top-post. It's bad etiquette.

I don't think the software you want exists for Linux. That's a
reflection of a lack of demand for it. If you want it badly, you're
probably going to have to write it.

Allen Kistler wrote:

> Don't top-post. It's bad etiquette.
>

Ok, I've been waiting for this... Where do I find how to reply/quote
emails?
I really want to learn this the right way but I don't know where to
start.

Thanks for the replies.

On 9 Jan 2007 06:32:12 -0800, bcochofel wrote:

> Ok, I've been waiting for this... Where do I find how to reply/quote
> emails?

But this is Usenet, not emails. :(

> I really want to learn this the right way but I don't know where to
> start.


For a more productive Usenet exeprience, please, read
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
and http://tgos.org/newbie/index2.html

Some interesting information about test posts may be found in
http://livinginternet.com/u/uu_test.htm

For odd punctuation marks seen at end of text, you might look at
http://community.the-underdogs.org/smiley/gallery.htm


Then there is the very large,
Frequently Asked Questions (faq) Search engine:

http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search
key word(s) in the first box
*linux* in Newsgroup box. You need to use the two
asterisks around linux, pick English

bcochofel wrote:
> Allen Kistler wrote:
>
>> Don't top-post. It's bad etiquette.
>>
>
> Ok, I've been waiting for this... Where do I find how to reply/quote
> emails?
> I really want to learn this the right way but I don't know where to
> start.
>
> Thanks for the replies.

First, this isn't email. It's Usenet news.

Once upon a time, "netiquette" faqs were common, especially in news
itself. Some groups still have them. Most don't.

Now I'd suggest http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/internet/index.html

There's a sub-doc at http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/usenet/brox.html
about top-posting vs. bottom-posting.

"bcochofel" <bruno.cochofel@gmail.com> writes:


>Allen Kistler wrote:

>> Don't top-post. It's bad etiquette.
>>

>Ok, I've been waiting for this... Where do I find how to reply/quote
>emails?
>I really want to learn this the right way but I don't know where to
>start.

a) don't listen to the "etiquette police", the self styled net guardians.
b) Just liberally sprinkle the sentences of your reply throughout the
original document. That way readers will have a really tough time making
sure that they have read all of your reply and of fitting it coherently
together.
c) And if you have a one word reply, make sure that you quote all of the 27
pages of the original and place your one word reply at the bottom. That way
the readers get to read all of the post they have already read so they can
thoroughly appreciate your reply.


The primary goal of your writing is to convey information to the readers.
Do whatever is required to do that in the most efficient and best way
possible.


>Thanks for the replies.

"bcochofel" <bruno.cochofel@gmail.com> writes:


>Allen Kistler wrote:

>> Don't top-post. It's bad etiquette.
>>

>Ok, I've been waiting for this... Where do I find how to reply/quote
>emails?
>I really want to learn this the right way but I don't know where to
>start.

Oh don't worry about it. Just reply sensibly, and ignore people who try to
tell you how to do things. Usenet is about communication, and do whatever
you feel will communicate best.