Multiple Enigmail User IDs for multiple accounts in Thunderbird?

Question

I have multiple email accounts set up in Thunderbird 3.1.10 in Mac OS X 10.6.7, and have just installed latest GnuPG and Enigmail.

The Enigmail setup wizard helped me set up a Key for signing emails, and apparently it is tied to a "user ID" it created for one of my emails, say email address "A".

Question: If I send an email from my email address/account "B" in Thunderbird and sign it with the abovementioned key, will this email and its digital signature contain any information related to my email "A"?

I just don't want someone receiving emails from my address "B" to know anything about my address "A". Therefore do I need to create separate keys for all my email accounts" If so, how?

Answer 1

If you've associated an e-mail address with a public key, that address will be available to whomever you send that key or any signed messages to. This is so that the recipient can know which key to use when verifying your signatures, or when sending encrypted messages to you.

Multiple e-mail addresses can be handled in one of two ways:

• Add additional addresses to your existing key. Of course, all e-mail addresses associated with the key will be available to any recipients of your key or signed e-mails.

• Create separate keys for addresses that you do not want to be associated together.

To add addresses to your existing key:

• In Thunderbird, go to OpenPGP->Key Management.
• Right-click the key you want to edit, and select Manage User IDs.
• Add your e-mail address(es) in that dialog.

To create a separate key:

• In Thunderbird, go to OpenPGP->Key Management.
• Click Generate->New Key Pair.
• Use that dialog to generate a new key, the same way you made your first one - just select a different "Account / User ID".