How to add GnuPG / GPG key ID to the Evolution email client in Linux and use it

We saw how to create a GPG, GnuPG or PGP key pair in earlier posts. Now we need to tell Evolution that we have a PGP key pair that can be used to sign email messages and also encrypt them.

To sign, all you need is create a GPG, GnuPG or PGP key pairthe private key. To encrypt, you will need the public key of the person to whom you want to send an email.

Let us see how to add the key to Evolution.

1. Start up Evolution email client in Linux.
2. Select Edit -> Preferences -> Mail Accounts -> Choose the email ID -> Edit -> Security
3. In the OpenPGP Key ID text box, enter your Key ID. To find your key ID, follow this post.
4. Select SHA512 as Signing Algorithm from the drop down.
5. Click the check box “Always encrypt to myself when sending encrypted messages“.
6. Click the check box “Always trust keys in my key ring when encrypting“.

That’s it, you can now sign and encrypt messages from the Evolution email client.

To test, create a new email message in Evolution. You can put your name as the receiver. To sign and encrypt, click on Options -> PGP Sign and then again click on Options -> PGP Encrypt. After typing your text, click Send button. Enter your GnuPG password and click Unlock button.

When you receive the message, you will not be able to read it, unless you enter your GNU Privacy Guard, GPG, PGP password.

You can also send signed and encrypted messages using the Thunderbird email client on Linux and Windows.