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GPG Mail: Deleted thread

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Kevin B

29 Oct, 2023 12:34 AM

Is there some mistake or did you really delete the thread about the Sonoma 14.1 release? I understand that some people might be unreasonably impatient but a simple status update would probably satisfy most users. Deleting the thread with no response is a very questionable decision. I feel like I've made a terrible mistake giving money to this company.

1. 1 Posted by Timm on 29 Oct, 2023 09:43 AM

   

   The thread is private now. Still questionable :-) But maybe this implies the answer, that the missing api calls still not available in 14.1 or there will be a statement soon.

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2. 2 Posted by abc on 29 Oct, 2023 09:53 AM

   

   There was some guy who was being really argumentative and belligerent in it just before it went private, so I assume (or at least, I hope) it was in response to that and nothing more.

   Though a status update would be nice, since the original message from the company said the first compatible gpgtools update would be released with the first minor upgrade to Sonoma, not an indeterminate period after it.

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3. 3 Posted by Frans Schippers on 30 Oct, 2023 09:42 PM

   

   Please inform us about the status of the mail-integration. Silence is not good. Please be open about the problems you face. We all know it takes sometimes more time. But keep us in the loop.

   Frans

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4. 4 Posted by Yannik on 31 Oct, 2023 01:14 AM

   

   I can fully understand, if there are delays, because Apple is not very open or fast with its changes.
   It is really frustrating though to not be kept in the loop.
   A simple message like "It will takes us a bit more time, but it will be (partly) released for macOS 14.1", "We're still figuring out, if macOS 14.1 is ready for us" or "Sadly there wasn't enough of what we needed in macOS 14.1 so we'll need to wait some more, but we'll keep you updated" would go a long way. Only the silence is bad.

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5. 5 Posted by guipan on 31 Oct, 2023 01:48 AM

   

   I paid for GPGTools, and I expect to receive a good support for the software, and to have regular updates. Not like this way the team of GPGTools is doing. I want to update to macos Sonoma, because of the new software features, and for security reasons. I'm a little bit frustrated!

   guipan

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6. 6 Posted by Bjorn De Sutter on 31 Oct, 2023 11:05 AM

   

   I fully agree with the previous posters, I am also expecting more transparency. I don't think this silence is acceptable. Leaving entirely outdated information online about what will be done when the first minor sonoma update is released just doesn't do it.

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7. 7 Posted by glenn.skogsoy on 01 Nov, 2023 08:41 AM

   

   There was some guy who was being really argumentative and belligerent in it just before it went private, so I assume (or at least, I hope) it was in response to that and nothing more.

   You might refer to me and have to say that I disagree with the description belligerent. I'm a paying customer and just want an answer. I just stated the facts in my posts. That's all and don't think I require too much. It would have been so simple and easy to post a short status update to prevent all of this. The silence and make a thread private because they don't like the discussion is not a good thing to do. I believe everyone behaved fine in the discussion, but a lot of frustration.

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8. 8 Posted by Kevin B on 01 Nov, 2023 01:46 PM

   

   I just installed Thunderbird instead, it has native support for PGP. I'm going to use it for a while and see if I want to keep it as my primary email client, but even if I end up sticking with Apple Mail, I can always just fire up Thunderbird when I need to do PGP stuff.

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9. 9 Posted by jch on 01 Nov, 2023 03:59 PM

   

   Don't forget to turn off the subject encryption in Thunderbird! For anyone using anything else, that "..." instead of the subject is really annoying! Still hoping GPGMail for Sonoma is coming Real Soon Now. Please!

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10. 10 Posted by glenn.skogsoy on 01 Nov, 2023 04:06 PM

    

    Good advice with Thunderbird. I been using Thunderbird as well in the past and kind of forgot about it. I like Apple mail better, but I guess just using Thunderbird is much less hassle.

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11. 11 Posted by Kevin B on 01 Nov, 2023 05:50 PM

    

    Thanks for the encrypted subject tip. I noticed that in my testing but didn't realize there was a setting to disable it.

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12. 12 Posted by karel.guzman on 01 Nov, 2023 08:19 PM

    

    is there a beta version available for testing somewhere ?

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13. Support Staff 13 Posted by Steve on 02 Nov, 2023 01:13 PM

    

    Hi all,

    with 14.1 out, here's a quick update:

    While we are still not very happy about the current state of the Mail Extensions API (MailKit), due to mounting pressure and request from our user base, we are preparing a beta version for next week.

    Please expect decryption inconsistencies and in the worst case losing drafts during the composing stage.

    Based on a first analysis of the latest 14.2 beta, Apple is still working on the issues we have brought to their attention and are making progress. Due to a bug in the first 14.2 beta expect Mail to crash with GPG Mail enabled when composing messages and signing or encryption button are not enabled.

    Drafts that were previously encrypted will be decrypted when they are edited and stored in plain on the server. Mail currently doesn't always invoke the extension when saving drafts, so drafts currently can't be reliably stored encrypted.

    We do understand this is frustrating and as you can imagine it's terribly frustrating for us as well.

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14. 14 Posted by karel.guzman on 02 Nov, 2023 01:36 PM

    

    Hi Steve, thank you for the quick response! I have today installed Sonoma 14.1 and enabled the GPG beta channel for the updates, now just waiting :)

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15. 15 Posted by jch on 02 Nov, 2023 01:41 PM

    

    Excellent news, Steve, thank you.

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16. 16 Posted by Marcus on 17 Nov, 2023 08:04 AM

    

    Hm. I must admit I'm also not happy with the communication. The beta that was announced for "next week", which would have been a week ago the lastest, is nowhere to be seen; at least it doesn't show up here if I activate beta updates. So, what's the status?

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17. 17 Posted by karel.guzman on 19 Nov, 2023 12:45 PM

    

    Dear GPG Mail Development Team,

    I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to first express my appreciation for your ongoing efforts in providing a secure email solution. Your work is invaluable to the community, and it has significantly contributed to enhancing our digital security.

    However, I'm reaching out today to discuss the compatibility issues with the latest release of macOS Sonoma. Like many others in the community, I have been eagerly anticipating an update that would address these issues. We understand that developing such solutions, especially ensuring compatibility with new operating systems, is a challenging and time-consuming process. Your expertise and dedication in this field are something we all greatly respect.

    That said, the lack of communication regarding the progress of the new version has become a growing concern among users. Regular updates, even if they are to say that there's no significant progress or to acknowledge challenges, can be immensely helpful. It keeps us, your user base, informed and engaged, and it helps manage expectations.

    Transparency in the development process fosters a stronger, more trusting relationship between developers and users.

    We, as your user community, are fully supportive of your efforts and understand the complexities involved. However, we kindly request more frequent updates about the development stages of the new GPG Mail version for macOS Sonoma. This would not only ease the current uncertainty but also strengthen our confidence in the tool we have come to rely on so heavily.

    Thank you for considering this request. We look forward to your response and remain enthusiastic about the future of GPG Mail.

    Best regards,

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18. Support Staff 18 Posted by Steve on 23 Nov, 2023 01:26 AM

    

    Hi all,

    today we finally want to share exciting news in regards to macOS 14 Sonoma with you.

    We are publishing a first beta version of GPG Mail. This is a complete rewrite and the first time ever GPG Mail is available in the form of a Mail Extension.

    As you can see in the list below there are still many remaining issues Apple has not yet fixed. All of these bugs are filed with Apple but at this time, we don't know when and if they will be addressed.
    Expect bugs - e.g. after opening Mail app the first selected email is not decrypted - and even crashes (see Known Issue for saving drafts on macOS 14.2)
    In some cases the extension stops working but still shows as enabled in Mail › Settings › Extensions. In that case it’s necessary to logout / login or reboot your mac. If a composing window is left open when closing Mail, the next time Mail is started it won’t use the extension until the extension is re-enabled via Mail › Settings › Extensions (see Known Issues).

    Please report any findings or other feedback via System Settings > GPG Suite > Contact Support. We do recommend sending in screenshots or videos, since they often help us to better understand problems you might be seeing. You can add screenshots after you have reported a problem. So first file the report, click send, then add screenshots or screencasts.

    Please download GPG Suite 3485n containing GPG Mail as Mail Extension from:
    https://gpgtools.com/staging-releases/GPG_Suite%2BSonoma.dmg

    After installation, open Mail and go to Settings › Extensions. Activate GPG Mail and you should be ready for testing.
    During the beta period your current GPG Mail Support Plans will continue working.

    Known issues

    • FB13380621 If a compose window was open when Mail was last closed, which is restored on launch, no message will be processed by the extension until the GPG Mail Extension is disabled and re-enabled manually via Mail › Settings › Extensions
    • FB12848141 Drafts are not encrypted. Already encrypted drafts will be stored in plain(!) on the mail server if the user continues to edit them
    • FB9216546 After launch, if a message is pre-selected it will not be processed by GPG Mail Workaround: de-select and re-select the message
    • FB13303274On macOS 14.2 betas Mail will crash if a draft is saved if any extension is enabled and neither the sign button nor the encrypt button are active
      
    • FB13394225 If the extension becomes unresponsive or Mail can't connect to it it will still show as enabled in Mail › Settings › Extensions but the user won't be alerted Workaround: Logout/Login or Restart of the computer solves this in most cases
    • FB13381340 In offline mode, the extension will not be called to decrypt / verify messages
    • FB9222544 The sign and encrypt button will be toggled on or off based on the state of the last composed message instead of based on the defaults set in GPG Keychain › Settings › GPG Mail or the security status of the original message in case of a reply
    • FB12193522, FB13383153 There is currently no warning in case a user attempts to reply to an encrypted message in plain
    • FB12193526 If the GPG Keyring is edited (new keys, updated keys) Mail has to be restarted for the changes to be reflected
    • FB12191237 A "For security reasons remote content is not loaded." banner might be shown even though no remote content is included in the message
    • FB12193519 There's no special hint / message in the compose window if no secret key is for the sender is available or an available secret key can't be used (e.g. expired)
    • FB13381340 It's not possible to switch between S/MIME and OpenPGP when composing a message
    • FB12193528 Compose window might not be animated out immediately when pressing send. Don't press send repeatedly
    • FB12193520 Partial Inline PGP encrypted / signed message are currently not supported
    • FB12056175 The signature detail view might be display at "unusal" positions

    Best regards,
    Steve

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19. Steve closed this discussion on 08 Dec, 2023 05:57 PM.