From bbff989c1abff562668188d2b841c1da7c61523d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nick Mathewson Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:59:42 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] r15857@catbus: nickm | 2007-10-16 12:59:13 -0400 Add proposal 123-autonaming.txt svn:r11988 --- doc/spec/proposals/000-index.txt | 2 + doc/spec/proposals/123-autonaming.txt | 54 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 56 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/spec/proposals/123-autonaming.txt diff --git a/doc/spec/proposals/000-index.txt b/doc/spec/proposals/000-index.txt index bd9661f1ca..2a13cbf6d9 100644 --- a/doc/spec/proposals/000-index.txt +++ b/doc/spec/proposals/000-index.txt @@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ Proposals by number: 120 Suicide descriptors when Tor servers stop [OPEN] 121 Hidden Service Authentication [OPEN] 122 Network status entries need a new Unnamed flag [OPEN] +123 Naming authorities automatically create bindings [OPEN] Proposals by status: @@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ Proposals by status: 120 Suicide descriptors when Tor servers stop 121 Hidden Service Authentication 122 Network status entries need a new Unnamed flag + 123 Naming authorities automatically create bindings ACCEPTED: 101 Voting on the Tor Directory System 103 Splitting identity key from regularly used signing key diff --git a/doc/spec/proposals/123-autonaming.txt b/doc/spec/proposals/123-autonaming.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..7ab7d3ece0 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/spec/proposals/123-autonaming.txt @@ -0,0 +1,54 @@ +Filename: xxx-autonaming.txt +Title: Naming authorities automatically create bindings +Version: $Revision$ +Last-Modified: $Date$ +Author: Peter Palfrader +Created: 2007-10-11 +Status: Open + +Overview: + + Tor's directory authorities can give certain servers a "Named" flag + in the network-status entry, when they want to bind that nickname to + that identity key. This allows clients to specify a nickname rather + than an identity fingerprint and still be certain they're getting the + "right" server. + + Authority operators name a server by adding their nickname and + identity fingerprint to the 'approved-routers' file. Historically + being listed in the file was required for a router, at first for being + listed in the directory at all, and later in order to be used by + clients as a first or last hop of a circuit. + + Adding identities to the list of named routers so far has been a + manual, time consuming, and boring job. Given that and the fact that + the Tor network works just fine without named routers the last + authority to keep a current binding list stopped updating it well over + half a year ago. + + Naming, if it were done, would serve a useful purpose however in that + users can have a reasonable expectation that the exit server Bob they + are using in their http://www.google.com.bob.exit/ URL is the same + Bob every time. + +Proposal: + I propose that identity<->name binding be completely automated: + + New bindings should be added after the router has been around for a + bit and their name has not been used by other routers, similarly names + that have not appeared on the network for a long time should be freed + in case a new router wants to use it. + + The following rules are suggested: + i) If a named router has not been online for half a year, the + identity<->name binding for that name is removed. The nickname + is free to be taken by other routers now. + ii) If a router claims a certain nickname and + a) has been on the network for at least two weeks, and + b) that nickname is not yet linked to a different router, and + c) no other router has wanted that nickname in the last month, + a new binding should be created for this router and its desired + nickname. + + This automaton does not necessarily need to live in the Tor code, it + can do its job just as well when it's an external tool.