File: gnupg.info,  Node: Glossary,  Next: Option Index,  Prev: Contributors,  Up: Top

Glossary
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'ARL'
     The _Authority Revocation List_ is technical identical to a CRL but
     used for CAs and not for end user certificates.

'Chain model'
     Verification model for X.509 which uses the creation date of a
     signature as the date the validation starts and in turn checks that
     each certificate has been issued within the time frame, the issuing
     certificate was valid.  This allows the verification of signatures
     after the CA's certificate expired.  The validation test also
     required an online check of the certificate status.  The chain
     model is required by the German signature law.  See also _Shell
     model_.

'CMS'
     The _Cryptographic Message Standard_ describes a message format for
     encryption and digital signing.  It is closely related to the X.509
     certificate format.  CMS was formerly known under the name 'PKCS#7'
     and is described by 'RFC3369'.

'CRL'
     The _Certificate Revocation List_ is a list containing certificates
     revoked by the issuer.

'CSR'
     The _Certificate Signing Request_ is a message send to a CA to ask
     them to issue a new certificate.  The data format of such a signing
     request is called PCKS#10.

'OpenPGP'
     A data format used to build a PKI and to exchange encrypted or
     signed messages.  In contrast to X.509, OpenPGP also includes the
     message format but does not explicitly demand a specific PKI.
     However any kind of PKI may be build upon the OpenPGP protocol.

'Keygrip'
     This term is used by GnuPG to describe a 20 byte hash value used to
     identify a certain key without referencing to a concrete protocol.
     It is used internally to access a private key.  Usually it is shown
     and entered as a 40 character hexadecimal formatted string.

'OCSP'
     The _Online Certificate Status Protocol_ is used as an alternative
     to a CRL.  It is described in 'RFC 2560'.

'PSE'
     The _Personal Security Environment_ describes a database to store
     private keys.  This is either a smartcard or a collection of files
     on a disk; the latter is often called a Soft-PSE.

'Shell model'
     The standard model for validation of certificates under X.509.  At
     the time of the verification all certificates must be valid and not
     expired.  See also _Chain model_.

'X.509'
     Description of a PKI used with CMS. It is for example defined by
     'RFC3280'.