You should read these eventually, but for now this article should be enough to get you started. The DOS and Unix versions are command-line driven, and I'll use the DOS version for the examples that follow. The same commands will work for the Unix version as well, and Mac users should be able to figure out which menus correspond to which command-line flags. Generating a Key Let's pretend that Al Gore wants his boss, Bill Clinton, to be able to encrypt the mail and information he sends to Al. PGP will ask Al to chose a key length, from 384 to 2,048 bits long.
Longer keys are more secure, but take longer to generate and use.
Most folks feel comfortable with 1,024-bit keys, but it's up to you. No matter what length key you use, you can encrypt data to and decrypt data from any other PGP user, even if their key is a different size. Al use 384 bits. The pass phrase will not be displayed, and Al will be asked to enter it twice just to be sure he got it right. Finally, Al will be asked to type some keys at random.