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Posted to dev@subversion.apache.org by Lars Gullik Bjønnes <la...@gullik.net> on 2005/11/09 18:16:07 UTC

Issue 1144 - sasl support in svnserve

Have any plans been made regarding this issue?

It would be very welcome to have sasl (with or without ssl) support in
svnserve. 

http://subversion.tigris.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=1144

-- 
	Lgb


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Re: Issue 1144 - sasl support in svnserve

Posted by David Anderson <da...@calixo.net>.
Lars Gullik Bjønnes wrote:
> I take it that only server-side certificates will be required, and
> client side optional?

That still has to be discussed, but that would be my thoughts.

> Ok, so the task is not as "simple" as issue 1144 might convey?
 >
 > Wrt SASL, what specific design issues need to be tackled?
 > (I might have some resources to contribute.)

The infrastructure for integrating SASL is in place (it was thought into 
the svn wire protocol from the start).  However, there are design issues 
that need to be thought about before integration.

Actually, a lot of them have to do with SSL integration, which is a 
dependancy for SASL (without a secure transport layer, a lot of SASL 
mechanisms are insecure).  Things like when should the option to 
escalate to a secure transport be offered during a protocol exchange, 
how to preserve URI anonymity without compromising backward 
compatibility...  Max Bowsher was planning on writing a small piece to 
the list about this, but I think he had computer problems and it got 
delayed.

Concerning SASL alone, I believe the biggest question we have is what 
SASL library (if any) to use.  The contenders are Cyrus SASL, GNU SASL, 
and the SASL mechanism library integrated in the Dovecot mail daemons.

 From the echoes I've had, Cyrus SASL has problems relating to APR and 
multithreading properly; GNU SASL is largely incomplete; Dovecot SASL is 
an interesting alternative, but it is currently integrated in Dovecot, 
and only implements the server side of things, so it would require 
factoring the SASL code into a separate project, and writing the client 
SASL code into it.

Then of course, there is the option of writing our own.  But I reckon 
that if Cyrus and GNU SASL fail us, we'd be better off completing the 
(already good) SASL code of Dovecot, rather than reinventing everything 
again.

Once the choice of the library is made, I think there will have to be 
some API discussion, as for complete SASL support the current 
authentication callbacks in the client seem to me to be insufficient. 
But that is all fairly small discussion, as the basics of auth 
mechanisms and mech negociation is already in the actual wire protocol. 
  The big questions come with SSL and which SASL library to use.

- Dave.

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Re: Issue 1144 - sasl support in svnserve

Posted by Lars Gullik Bjønnes <la...@gullik.net>.
David Anderson <da...@calixo.net> writes:

| Lars Gullik Bjønnes wrote:
| > It would be very welcome to have sasl (with or without ssl) support in
| > svnserve.
| 
| The plan as it currently stands is to complete SSL support first, so
| that more than 10% of SASL auth methods can be used at least
| semi-securely.

I take it that only server-side certificates will be required, and
client side optional?

[...] 

| So, yes it is on the books.  If time permits, getting SSL support for
| svnserve in 1.4 would be desirable.  Realistically speaking, I don't
| think SASL will make it into 1.4 though, unless a fair group feels
| like tackling the design issues right now.

Ok, so the task is not as "simple" as issue 1144 might convey?

Wrt SASL, what specific design issues need to be tackled?
(I might have some resources to contribute.)

-- 
	Lgb


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Re: Issue 1144 - sasl support in svnserve

Posted by David Anderson <da...@calixo.net>.
Lars Gullik Bjønnes wrote:
> It would be very welcome to have sasl (with or without ssl) support in
> svnserve. 

The plan as it currently stands is to complete SSL support first, so 
that more than 10% of SASL auth methods can be used at least 
semi-securely.  I'd like to do this (and followup with SASL), but right 
now I'm still attached to getting 1.3.0 out, and a lot of work on the 
side (university term half-done, all courses have handed out massive 
projects, that kind of stuff).

So, yes it is on the books.  If time permits, getting SSL support for 
svnserve in 1.4 would be desirable.  Realistically speaking, I don't 
think SASL will make it into 1.4 though, unless a fair group feels like 
tackling the design issues right now.

- Dave.

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