View source for Thunderbird/Encrypting your email

== Overview ==

To encrypt the email we use the common add-on [http://enigmail.mozdev.org/home/index.php Enigmail] which uses [http://www.gnupg.org/ GnuPG], an implementation of OpenPGP. By using Enigmail/GnuPG you can also sign messages so the receiver can verify that you are the original sender and that it is not forged. First we need to install Thunderbird (if not installed already), Enigmail and GnuPG. 

=== Gentoo Linux ===

Gentoo users just emerge the package mail-client/mozilla-thunderbird with the useflag crypt enabled, this will pull the package x11-plugins/enigmail and it's dependencies.

{{Box code||
 # emerge -av mozilla-thunderbird enigmail
}}

=== Debian/Ubuntu Linux ===

Debian-based distributions need to install IceDove (Thunderbird rebranded due to legal issues) and Enigmail. This will also pull all the dependencies.

{{Box code|Any package manager frontend will do it, but here is the cli version|
 # apt-get install icedove enigmail
}}

=== Windows/Other ===

Windows users and distributions without package managers need to download and install [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/ Thunderbird] manually. Enigmail must also be installed manually and can be downloaded from [https://addons.mozilla.org https://addons.mozilla.org], first select Thunderbird under 'Other applications', search for enigmail and download it. If you are using Firefox you need to make sure you download it and not try to install it directly. Also, Enigmail requires the application [http://www.gnupg.org/ GnuPG] to run which must also be installed manually. From site select download and find a binary version to download, current version is: [ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/binary/gnupg-w32cli-1.4.9.exe gnupg-w32cli-1.4.9.exe]. Don't be scared if this site looks confusing. 

After installing GnuPG go back to Thunderbird, select 'Tools' -> 'Add-ons', click 'Install' and select Enigmail from where you previously downloaded it. After installing you need to restart Thunderbird.