From d05a04968e07f6a2084ceb747938dc7cc049cb5f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Stef Walter Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 15:50:56 +0100 Subject: The start of some documentation. --- doc/Makefile.am | 22 ++++++++ doc/docbook-params.xsl | 39 +++++++++++++ doc/p11-kit-config.xml | 119 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ doc/p11-kit-multiple-problem.xml | 92 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ doc/p11-kit.xml | 11 ++++ 5 files changed, 283 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/Makefile.am create mode 100644 doc/docbook-params.xsl create mode 100644 doc/p11-kit-config.xml create mode 100644 doc/p11-kit-multiple-problem.xml create mode 100644 doc/p11-kit.xml (limited to 'doc') diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am new file mode 100644 index 0000000..52c269b --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/Makefile.am @@ -0,0 +1,22 @@ + +# p11-kit-glue.xml + +PARTS = \ + p11-kit-config.xml \ + p11-kit-multiple-problem.xml + +BOOK = \ + p11-kit.xml + +DOCUMENTS = \ + html/p11-kit.html + +all-local: $(DOCUMENTS) + +html/p11-kit.html: $(BOOK) $(PARTS) + xmlto --skip-validation -vv html-nochunks -o html/ p11-kit.xml + +EXTRA_DIST = \ + $(BOOK) \ + $(PARTS) \ + docbook-params.xsl diff --git a/doc/docbook-params.xsl b/doc/docbook-params.xsl new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d8591a --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/docbook-params.xsl @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ + + + + + + + + 3 + 0 + + book toc + part nop + chapter toc + + style.css + ansi + 1 + 0 + 1 + + diff --git a/doc/p11-kit-config.xml b/doc/p11-kit-config.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..851f5dc --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/p11-kit-config.xml @@ -0,0 +1,119 @@ + + + + PKCS#11 Configuration + +
+ Consistent configuration + + In order for multiple applications on the user's desktop to use + PKCS#11 modules in a consistent manner, there must be a configuration + or registry to specify which modules to load and how to use them. The + PKCS#11 specification does not specify such a configuration standard. + + + Because of the multi-library module initialization problem, use of + PKCS#11 modules must be coordinated within an application. p11-kit + provides that coordination. Since coordination is required, it follows + that p11-kit can also implement a consistent module configuration. + +
+ +
+ File format + + A complete configuration consists of several files. These files are + text files. Since p11-kit is built to be used in all + sorts of environments and at very low levels of the software stack, we + cannot make use of high level configuration APIs that you may find on a + modern desktop. + + Each setting in the config file is specified consists of a name and + a value. The name is a simple string consisting of characters and dashes. + The name consists of alpha numeric characters, dot, hyphen and + underscore. + + The value is specified after the name on the same line, separated + from it by a a : colon. White space between the + name and value is ignored. + + Blank lines are ignored. White space at the beginning or end of + lines is stripped. Lines that begin with a # character + are ignored as comments. Comments are not recognized when they come after + a value on a line. + + A fictitious sample configuration file might look like: + + + name:value + # Here is a comment + + setting.2: A long value with text. + x-custom : text + + +
+ +
+ Module Configuration + + Each configured PKCS#11 module has its own config file. The + location(s) of these files are described below. Most importantly each + config file specifies the location of the PKCS#11 module to load. Each + module config file has the following fields: + + + + module + The absolute path to the PKCS#11 module to load. + This should include an extension line .so + + + + Other fields may be present, but it is recommended that field names + that are not specified in this document start with a x- + prefix. +
+ +
+ Global Configuration + + A global configuration is also present. This file contains settings + that are not related to a single PKCS#11 module. The location(s) of the + global configuration are described below. The global configuration file + can contain the following fields: + + + + user-config + This will be equal to one of the following values: + none, merge, + override. + + + + Other fields may be present, but it is recommended that field names + that are not specified in this document start with a x- + prefix. +
+ +
+ Configuration Files + + Each configured PKCS#11 module is has its own config file. These + files are placed in a directory. In addition a global config file exists. + There is a system configuration consisting of the various module config + files and a file for global configuration. Optionally each user can provide + additional configuration or override the system configuration. + + The system global configuration file is in + /etc/pkcs11/pkcs11.conf and the user global + configuration file is in ~/.pkcs11/pkcs11.conf in the + user's home directory. + + + The module config files are located XXX> + +
+ diff --git a/doc/p11-kit-multiple-problem.xml b/doc/p11-kit-multiple-problem.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a1c19a7 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/p11-kit-multiple-problem.xml @@ -0,0 +1,92 @@ + + + + Sharing PKCS#11 modules + +
+ Multiple consumers of PKCS#11 in a process + + As more and more applications and libraries use PKCS#11 we run + into a very basic problem. The PKCS#11 modules cannot be initialized and + finalized properly without coordination between the various consumers. + + + An example: An application might use GnuTLS for + TLS connections, and use libgcr for display of certificates. Both of + these want to load (and initialze) the same PKCS#11 modules. There are + many places where this situation occurs, including large applications + like Evolution which due to their dependencies end up using both NSS and + GnuTLS. + + Consumer A loads a PKCS#11 module and uses the module's + C_Initialize function to initialize it, which works as expected. + When consumer B initializes the module (also using C_Initialize), + the error code CKR_CRYPTOKI_ALREADY_INITIALIZED + is correctly returned. This is normal PKCS#11 specification + defined behavior for when a module is initalized twice in the + same process. If consumer B is aware of this situation they may + choose to ignore this error code. + + However when the consumer A is done with its use of the + PKCS#11 module it finalizes the module using the module's + C_Finalize function. This is expected of a well behaved PKCS#11 + consumer. This then causes errors and/or crashes for consumer B, + which cannot know that the module has now been finalized out + from underneath it. + + It is necessary for the two consumers to coordinate their + initialization and finalization in some fashion. In + p11-kit we provide this coordination in a + loosely coupled, backwards compatible, and flexible way. +
+ +
+ Solution: p11-kit + + p11-kit provides functions to + coordinate initialization and finalization of any PKCS#11 + module. A module may be initialized any number of times using + the p11_kit_initialize_module() function. The first time that + p11_kit_initialize_module() is called for a module, that module's + C_Initialize function is used. Later invocations for the same + module cause p11-kit to increment an internal initialization + count, rather than calling C_Initialize again. + + The p11_kit_finalize_module() is used to finalize a module. + Each time it is called it decrements the internal initialization + count for that module. When the internal initialization count + reaches zero, the module's C_Finalize function is called. + + This is done in a thread-safe manner. These functions can + be used on modules that the consumer loads themselves. +
+ +
+ Solution: proxy module + + When an application is aware of the fact that coordination + is necessary between multiple consumers of a PKCS#11 module, it + can link to p11-kit and use the functions there to provide + this coordination. + + However most current consumers of PKCS#11 are ignorant of + this problem, and do not link to p11-kit. In order to solve this + multiple initialization problem for all applications, + p11-kit provides a proxy compatibility + module. + + This proxy module acts like a normal PKCS#11 module, but + internally loads a preconfigured set of PKCS#11 modules and + coordinates their initialization and finalization. Each slot + in the configured modules is exposed as a slot of the + p11-kit proxy module. The proxy module is + then used as a normal PKCS#11 module would be. It can be loaded by + crypto libraries like NSS and behaves as expected. + + The proxy module bends the PKCS#11 rules slightly. It does + not return the CKR_CRYPTOKI_ALREADY_INITIALIZED + error code as specified in PKCS#11. However this is a small + price to pay for this compatibility. +
+ diff --git a/doc/p11-kit.xml b/doc/p11-kit.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6231800 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/p11-kit.xml @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ + + + + + + + + + + + \ No newline at end of file -- cgit v1.2.3