This is a version history matrix showing the different releases of PGP from v1.0 up to the v6.0 release (and slightly beyond). It is intended to help answer Public Key crypto compatibility questions which have arisen due to confusion over the versions and keytypes employed by different PGP users and their correspondents.
The matrix indicates the Version, Status, Ciphersuites, i.e. RSA and/or Diffie-Hellman/Digital Signature Standard keytype, Platforms, approximate Release Date, Developer (or organization) and additional Comments.
Most of these versions can be downloaded from the comprehensive PGPi.org repository in Norway (or one of its mirrors).
This is not a definitive listing, only a work-in-progress.
As corrections and updates are sent in by the parties involved and appear
in the matrix , the information will get better and better. If you were
a member of any PGP development team (US-based or International),
please
send updates/corrections/suggestions (using the column-format below)
to <ddt@cryptorights.org>.
Ciphersuite Support Legend:
+ CAN use keytype.
- CANNOT use keytype (<v2.6 may
crash).
o RSA only, but ignores DH packets
without crashing.
= Semi-RSA capable (RSA enc/dec, but no
RSA key-generation).
# Semi-RSA capable (displays RSA keys,
but no RSA enc/dec).
$ Fully RSA capable at additional cost.
? (need info from parties involved)
| PGP Version Matrix | ||||||||||||
| Ciphersuite (Keytypes Supported) | Date of Release | |||||||||||
| Version# | Status | RSA | DH/DSS | Platforms | Year | Month | Developer | Comments | ||||
| 1.0 | Freeware | + | - | DOS | 1991 | Aug | Philip R Zimmermann | "Bass-o-Matic" symmetric cipher | ||||
| 2.0 | Freeware | + | - | DOS | 1993 | ? | Cypherpunks, PRZ | IDEA symmetric cipher | ||||
| 2.1 | Freeware | + | - | DOS | 1993 | Feb | Cypherpunks, PRZ | |||||
| 2.2 | Freeware | + | - | DOS | 1993 | Cypherpunks | ||||||
| 2.3 | Freeware | + | - | DOS, Win16, Unix, et.al. | 1994 | ? | Cypherpunks | |||||
| 2.5 | Freeware | + | - | DOS, Win16, Unix, et.al. | 1994 | ? | MIT, Cypherpunks | |||||
| 2.6.2 | Freeware | + | - | DOS, Win16, Unix, et.al. | 1994 | ? | MIT, Cypherpunks | |||||
| 2.6.3 | Freeware | + | - | DOS, Win16, Unix, et.al. | 1994 | ? | MIT, Cypherpunks | |||||
| 2.6.3 Mac | Freeware | + | - | Mac | 1995 | Feb? | Zbigniew Fiedorowicz | |||||
| 2.6.3i | Freeware | + | - | DOS, Win16, Unix, et.al. | 1994 | ? | International Cypherpunks | |||||
| 2.4 | Business | + | - | DOS, Unix | 1994 | ViaCrypt | ||||||
| 2.7 | Business | + | - | DOS, Unix, Mac | 1995 | ? | ViaCrypt | |||||
| 4.0 | Business | + | - | DOS, Win16 | 1996 | ? | ViaCrypt | 2.6 codebase | ||||
| 4.5 | Business | + | - | DOS, Win16 2.6.x) | 1996 | ? | ViaCrypt | 2.6 codebase | ||||
| 2.6.4 | Business | + | o | DOS, Unix | 1997 | Jun? | PGP Inc | 2.6 codebase | ||||
| 4.0.1 | Business | + | o | Win32 | 1997 | Jun? | PGP Inc | 2.6 codebase | ||||
| 4.5.1 | Business | + | o | Win32 | 1997 | Jun? | PGP Inc | 2.6 codebase | ||||
| 5.0 | Personal/Business | -/+ | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | May? | PGP Inc | API v3.0 | ||||
| 5.0i | Freeware | + | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | July? | International Cypherpunks | |||||
| 5.0ibi | Freeware | + | + | DOS (32-bit) | 1997 | ? | Tim Svenson, Georg Bauer | port of PGP Inc's UNIX v5.0 | ||||
| 5.0.1 | Freeware | + | + | Unix/Linux | 1997 | May? | PGP Inc | |||||
| 5.5 | Freeware | = | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | Sep | PGP Inc | |||||
| 5.5 | Personal/Business | -/+ | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | Sep | PGP Inc | |||||
| 5.5.2 | Personal/Business | $/- | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | Nov | PGP Inc | |||||
| 5.5.2 | Freeware | = | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | Nov | PGP Inc | |||||
| 5.5.3 | Personal/Business | -/$ | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | Dec | PGP Inc | |||||
| 5.5.3 | Freeware | - | + | Win32, Mac | 1997 | Dec | PGP Inc | |||||
| 5.5.3i | Freeware | + | + | Win32, Mac | International Cypherpunks | |||||||
| 5.5.5 | Personal/Business | $/$ | + | Win32, Mac | 1998 | Mar | NAI | |||||
| 5.5.5 | Freeware | = | + | Win32, Mac | 1998 | Mar | NAI | |||||
| 6.0 | Personal/Business | $/$ | + | Win32, Mac | 1998 | Sep | NAI | |||||
| 6.0 | Freeware | # | + | Win32, Mac | 1998 | Sep | NAI | |||||
| 6.0i | Freeware | - | + | Win32, Mac | 1998 | Sep | International Cypherpunks | |||||
| Note: All NAI versions of PGP after v6.5 can both generate and use RSA & DH/DSS keytypes on Win32/Mac/*nix platforms. | ||||||||||||