X-Git-Url: https://git.distorted.org.uk/u/mdw/putty/blobdiff_plain/e2a197cf4658f554fc653403bfe8aa340ae8c2fa..713b8b7a02c4385426cc06071142c50d042dd16b:/doc/pubkey.but

diff --git a/doc/pubkey.but b/doc/pubkey.but
index 87eb2fef..8a5ed1f0 100644
--- a/doc/pubkey.but
+++ b/doc/pubkey.but
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-\versionid $Id: pubkey.but,v 1.18 2002/09/11 17:30:36 jacob Exp $
+\versionid $Id: pubkey.but,v 1.20 2002/12/27 16:54:14 simon Exp $
 
 \C{pubkey} Using public keys for SSH authentication
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ passphrase. One solution to this is to use an \e{authentication
 agent}, a separate program which holds decrypted private keys and
 generates signatures on request. PuTTY's authentication agent is
 called Pageant. When you begin a Windows session, you start Pageant
-and load your public key into it (typing your passphrase once). For
+and load your private key into it (typing your passphrase once). For
 the rest of your session, you can start PuTTY any number of times
 and Pageant will automatically generate signatures without you
 having to do anything. When you close your Windows session, Pageant
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ server to accept it.
 
 \cfg{winhelp-topic}{puttygen.keytype}
 
-Before generating a public key using PuTTYgen, you need to select
+Before generating a key pair using PuTTYgen, you need to select
 which type of key you need. PuTTYgen currently supports three types
 of key:
 
@@ -150,6 +150,18 @@ of the key PuTTYgen will generate.
 
 Currently 1024 bits should be sufficient for most purposes.
 
+Note that an RSA key is generated by finding two primes of half the
+length requested, and then multiplying them together. For example,
+if you ask PuTTYgen for a 1024-bit RSA key, it will create two
+512-bit primes and multiply them. The result of this multiplication
+might be 1024 bits long, or it might be only 1023; so you may not
+get the exact length of key you asked for. This is perfectly normal,
+and you do not need to worry. The lengths should only ever differ by
+one, and there is no perceptible drop in security as a result.
+
+DSA keys are not created by multiplying primes together, so they
+should always be exactly the length you asked for.
+
 \S{puttygen-generate} The \q{Generate} button
 
 \cfg{winhelp-topic}{puttygen.generate}