commit 30ea2ab76cf91f0ab13cc076a5a0d0c62b3d596a
parent 9ebcc235e967e4998e86125edee43ae2cf5e1ad8
Author: parazyd <parazyd@dyne.org>
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2017 04:17:06 +0100
update the readme
Diffstat:
| M | README.md | | | 57 | ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----- |
1 file changed, 52 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -8,16 +8,63 @@ Abstract
--------
* Every DECODE node can be an opt-in directory.
+ * This implies running the directory API daemon on the node.
* Every directory would have a RESTful/HTTP API allowing to list other
nodes and announce new ones.
* They keep propagating to all the nodes they know.
-* Implies the need of knowledge of at least one or two nodes. It is
- possible to make this random enough once there are at least 6 nodes.
+* Announcing implies the need of knowledge of at least one or two nodes.
+ It is possible to make this random enough once there are at least 6
+ nodes.
+* A node announces itself to the directory by sending a JSON-formatted
+ POST request to one or more active DECODE nodes.
-Questions
----------
+Protocol
+--------
+
+A node announcing itself has to do a JSON-formatted POST request to a
+known and active DECODE directory with the format explained below.
+* `type` reflects the type of the node (currently just a placeholder)
+* `address` should hold the address of the Tor hidden service.
+* `message` is the message that has to be signed using the private key
+ of this same hidden service.
+* `signature` is the base64 encoded signature of the above message.
+
+ {
+ "type": "node",
+ "address": "qzhpi3jsbuvndnaw.onion",
+ "message": "I am a DECODE node!",
+ "signature": "ACkwtGGedX1ibHnlwtHlgJYndEMu0HhJaK3DLnH1B+r8/xx7jNDerOU7zrZVuzvf5mH9aZyHAOSHleaD52CsbT3lZrsrVWh4sVsJCD9VbEKuuPV/hx+T8f385V5dv2nDvBtJP32eQhwAxKz8YQvBjQOX8Y/o13vq+bxnxLd1j7g="
+ }
+
+Sending this as a POST request to a directory will make the directory
+ask for the public key of the given address from a HSDir in the Tor
+network. It will retrieve the public key and try to validate the
+signature that was made. Validating this, we assume that the requester
+is in possession of the private key.
+
+Once validated, the directory will append to the JSON struct, which will
+result in the following:
+
+ {
+ "type": "node",
+ "address": "qzhpi3jsbuvndnaw.onion",
+ "message": "I am a DECODE node!",
+ "signature": "ACkwtGGedX1ibHnlwtHlgJYndEMu0HhJaK3DLnH1B+r8/xx7jNDerOU7zrZVuzvf5mH9aZyHAOSHleaD52CsbT3lZrsrVWh4sVsJCD9VbEKuuPV/hx+T8f385V5dv2nDvBtJP32eQhwAxKz8YQvBjQOX8Y/o13vq+bxnxLd1j7g=",
+ "firstseen": 1511577084,
+ "lastseen": 1511577084,
+ "publickey": "-----BEGIN RSA PUBLIC KEY-----\nMIGJAoGBALrCIYHP38IEJXJAKhbVz/G6Q/OKTkKOfWXg1IlSRUtUKr+6pVMIRXni\ndeluaVRyCPkHA1g2o/MTHxVAgZspbUkTMYGrUYV0TOdcsbD29tPTXCmy5ZxyjsvO\nd7b3dxadT+9621q2H8/XYvHGWYZnnvyZgndjFsI/vBx9GYW8ial9AgMBAAE=\n-----END RSA PUBLIC KEY-----"
+ }
+
+The directory will then save this locally on the machine, and propagate
+it through the network of nodes/directories further on.
+
+
+Questions and concerns
+----------------------
* Handling consensus?
+* Validating nodes further on?
* How to keep track of node status?
-* Could the DECODE website could host a directory?
+* Could the DECODE website could host a list of ultimately-trusted
+ nodes/directories?
