Feature Request: Customizable Key Pair Selection in "Easy Mode" of Generate Key Dialogue

[marcos-morar]

Currently, Easy Mode offers three hardcoded options for key pair selection: RSA, DSA, and ECC 25519. While these are useful, they limit flexibility for users who need other key types or configurations.

I propose the following feature enhancement to improve the usability of Easy Mode:

Add Custom Key Pairs: Users should be able to define custom key pairs (combinations of primary and subkeys) in Easy Mode.

Remove Key Pairs: Users should have the option to remove key pairs from the Easy Mode selection list. This would allow them to declutter the interface by hiding algorithms they don’t use.

Persistence: Custom key pairs and removed options should persist across devices in portable version, so users don’t need to reconfigure Easy Mode on every device they use portable version.

Thank you for considering these enhancements.

Best Regards!

[saturneric]

Hi, thanks a lot for your suggestions. Good news — these features are already supported in the latest dev/nightly build:

• Custom key pairs: You can add your own (primary/subkey) combos by editing the JSON config file.
• Hide/remove options: Just set "hidden": true for any key pair you don’t want to see in Easy Mode.
• Persistence: All changes are saved and will persist in portable mode across devices.

Example JSON inder conf/generate_key_easy_mode_config.json:

[
  {
    "hidden": false,
    "name": "RSA-2048",
    "primary": {
      "algo": "RSA2048",
      "validity": "2y"
    },
    "subkey": {
      "algo": "RSA2048",
      "validity": "2y"
    }
  },
  {
    "hidden": false,
    "name": "DSA-2048",
    "primary": {
      "algo": "DSA2048",
      "validity": "2y"
    },
    "subkey": {
      "algo": "ELG2048",
      "validity": "2y"
    }
  },
  {
    "hidden": false,
    "name": "ED-448",
    "primary": {
      "algo": "ED448",
      "validity": "1y"
    },
    "subkey": {
      "algo": "SECP256K1",
      "validity": "15y"
    }
  },
  {
    "hidden": false,
    "name": "ECC-25519",
    "primary": {
      "algo": "ED25519",
      "validity": "2y"
    },
    "subkey": {
      "algo": "CV25519",
      "validity": "2y"
    }
  }
]

I also provide a JSON listing of all supported algorithms for reference:

• conf/supported_key_algos.json
• conf/supported_subkey_algos.json

Feel free to grab the latest nightly build and give it a try! If you run into any issues or have more ideas, just open another issue or comment here.

Refer: 3e36cde

[marcos-morar]

Dear @saturneric,

Thank you for implementing the functionality. I’ve tested this feature in the latest nightly build and would like to share my observations and suggestions to improve its usability, particularly for non-technical users.

Observations

1. The current implementation requires users to manually edit .json files to add or remove keys, but there’s no option in the application to access or modify these files. For most users, especially those unfamiliar with configuration file location, this makes the functionality effectively inaccessible. A GUI-based interface to add or remove keys would greatly enhance usability for the average user.
2. Editing .json files in a text editor is daunting for many users, particularly given the specific JSON format. Some users may avoid modifying these files out of fear of breaking the application, while others might introduce syntax errors, leading to issues. Without a GUI to streamline adding or removing keys in Easy Mode, this functionality remains impractical for most non-technical users. A visual interface would make the process intuitive and error-free.
3. I tested the AppImage version of the nightly build on Linux, and it correctly picked up my existing configurations and keys. However, I noticed inconsistencies in how configuration files are handled:

• No .json files or conf folder were created in ~/.local/share/GpgFrontend, where I expected key-related configurations to reside.
• In ~/.config, a new folder named "Unknown Organization" was created, containing a GpgFrontend.conf file, but no .json files were present.

This setup is confusing for several reasons:

• The "Unknown Organization" folder name feels unprofessional and unclear.
• Configuration files should be stored in a consistent, predictable location (e.g., ~/.local/share/GpgFrontend) alongside other GpgFrontend data to avoid fragmentation.
• Users manually searching for configuration files may struggle to locate them due to this unexpected directory structure.

Suggestion:

Adding a GUI interface to add, remove, or edit keys would address these issues. This would make the feature accessible to non-technical users, eliminate the need for manual .json file editing, and ensure configurations are managed consistently in the background.

Thank you again for your efforts in implementing this feature!

Best regards!

[saturneric]

Hi, I’ve submitted a new patch that greatly enhances the “Easy Mode” for key generation:

• Profiles management: Users can now save, load, and delete custom key pair profiles directly in the “Easy Mode” dialog.
• Name validation: When saving a profile, the name must be unique (case-insensitive) and up to 32 characters.
• Default templates updated: The built-in template set now covers a broader range of modern algorithms (RSA 2048/3072, ECC Ed25519/Curve25519, NIST, Brainpool, and DSA/Elgamal).
• UX improvements: The UI provides instant feedback if a profile name is empty, too long, or already exists.
• Custom expiration: Support for user-defined key/subkey validity periods, including exact seconds.
• Profile config persistence: All custom profiles are stored and reloaded automatically.

This update should meet most requests from this issue, including the ability for users to define and re-use their own preferred key pair combinations easily.

You may try the latest nightly build. If you have further suggestions for algorithms or usability, feel free to reply!

Refer: dd4b3a5

[marcos-morar]

Checked. Working as expected.
Great work and many thanks.