GnuPG cannot import PGP 8 private key

[Nick Gilbert]

Hi,

I'm trying to import my private key from PGP 8 into GnuPG so I can use
the Enigmail interface in Thunderbird.

However when I try and import my private key pair, I get the following
message:

"Importing the keys failed:
gpg: key 915E7E09: secret key imported
gpg: key 915E7E09: no valid user IDs
gpg: this may be caused by a missing self-signature
gpg: key 915E7E09: public key "Nick Gilbert <EMAIL ADDRESS>" imported
...
gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
"

Why is this happening? Is it not possible to use a PGP private key for
GnuPG? I don't really want to generate a new key pair.

Nick..

[Neil W Rickert]

Post by Nick Gilbert
I'm trying to import my private key from PGP 8 into GnuPG so I can use
the Enigmail interface in Thunderbird.
However when I try and import my private key pair, I get the following
gpg: key 915E7E09: secret key imported
gpg: key 915E7E09: no valid user IDs
gpg: this may be caused by a missing self-signature
gpg: key 915E7E09: public key "Nick Gilbert <EMAIL ADDRESS>" imported
...
gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
"
Why is this happening? Is it not possible to use a PGP private key for
GnuPG? I don't really want to generate a new key pair.

It looks as if there is something wrong with your key.

As a test, I just generated a key with PGP8, exported to a file,
then imported into my GnuPG keyring. This worked perfectly.

% gpg --import nwr.asc
gpg: key 704761C5: secret key imported
gpg: key 704761C5: accepted non self-signed user ID "neil rickert <***@XXXXXX>"
gpg: key 704761C5: public key "neil rickert <***@XXXXXX>" imported
gpg: key 704761C5: "neil rickert <***@XXXXXX>" 2 new signatures
gpg: key 704761C5: "neil rickert <***@XXXXXX>" 1 new subkey
gpg: Total number processed: 2
gpg: imported: 1
gpg: new subkeys: 1
gpg: new signatures: 2
gpg: secret keys read: 1
gpg: secret keys imported: 1

[Richard Johnson]

Post by Nick Gilbert
gpg: key 915E7E09: no valid user IDs
gpg: this may be caused by a missing self-signature
...
Why is this happening?

My initial guess was you had an old-style RSA key that uses IDEA, and
you haven't installed the IDEA module in gpg. However, your key
appears to be a DSA key. Then again, you did create it before PGP 8
was released, so perhaps it's a 'PGP 6 key' :-). [1]

Post by Nick Gilbert
Is it not possible to use a PGP private key for
GnuPG?

I transfer private keys between gpg and PGP 8 from time to time,
usually refreshing my gpg rings with short-term keys I've created in
PGP 8. It's definitely possible.

Since your key creation predates automatic self-signature, gpg's report
of no valid self-signature might be quite accurate. Make sure you sign
your own key.

If you have signed it, try replacing that self-signature.

Good luck!


Richard

-------
[1] gpg: searching for "0x915E7E09" from HKP server subkeys.pgp.net
Keys 1-4 of 4 for "0x915E7E09"
(1) Nick Gilbert <***@...>
1024 bit DSA key 915E7E09, created 1998-01-30
(2) Nick Gilbert <***@...>
1024 bit DSA key 915E7E09, created 1998-01-30
(3) Nick Gilbert <***@...>
1024 bit DSA key 915E7E09, created 1998-01-30
(4) Nick Gilbert <***@...>
1024 bit DSA key 915E7E09, created 1998-01-30

[Casey]

Post by Nick Gilbert
Hi,
I'm trying to import my private key from PGP 8 into GnuPG so I can use
the Enigmail interface in Thunderbird.
However when I try and import my private key pair, I get the following
gpg: key 915E7E09: secret key imported
gpg: key 915E7E09: no valid user IDs
gpg: this may be caused by a missing self-signature
gpg: key 915E7E09: public key "Nick Gilbert <EMAIL ADDRESS>" imported
...
gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
"
Why is this happening? Is it not possible to use a PGP private key for
GnuPG? I don't really want to generate a new key pair.
Nick..

I believe the very same thing happened to me sometime back.
I had a PGP658ckt key and I wanted to import it into
Thunderbird/enigmail/GnuPG. I got the same error messages
you got when I had only my sig on the key. When I put
two different sigs on the key, GnuPG accepted it.
Casey