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Diffstat (limited to 'doc')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/api.tex | 90 |
1 files changed, 46 insertions, 44 deletions
diff --git a/doc/api.tex b/doc/api.tex index 557bdb567..d9f0f7f81 100644 --- a/doc/api.tex +++ b/doc/api.tex @@ -52,6 +52,27 @@ minimal fuss, but Botan also supports a modules system. This system exposes system dependent code to the library through portable interfaces, extending the set of services available to users. +\subsection{Recommended Reading} + +It's a very good idea if you have some knowledge of cryptography prior +to trying to use this stuff. You really should read at least one and +ideally all of these books before seriously using the library. + +\setlength{\parskip}{5pt} + +\noindent +\textit{Cryptography Engineering}, Niels Ferguson, Bruce Schneier, and +Tadayoshi Kohno; Wiley + +\noindent +\textit{Security Engineering -- A Guide to Building Dependable + Distributed Systems}, Ross Anderson; Wiley + +\noindent +\textit{Handbook of Applied Cryptography}, Alfred J. Menezes, +Paul C. Van Oorschot, and Scott A. Vanstone; CRC Press (available +online at \url{http://www.cacr.math.uwaterloo.ca/hac/}) + \subsection{Targets} Botan's primary targets (system-wise) are 32 and 64-bit CPUs, with a @@ -2197,31 +2218,33 @@ you do will be wasteful of both CPU cycles and possibly entropy. \pagebreak \section{User Interfaces} -Botan has recently changed some infrastructure to better accommodate more -complex user interfaces, in particular ones that are based on event -loops. Primary among these was the fact that when doing something like loading -a PKCS \#8 encoded private key, a passphrase might be needed, but then again it -might not (a PKCS \#8 key doesn't have to be encrypted). Asking for a -passphrase to decrypt an unencrypted key is rather pointless. Not only that, -but the way to handle the user typing the wrong passphrase was complicated, +Botan has recently changed some infrastructure to better accommodate +more complex user interfaces, in particular ones that are based on +event loops. Primary among these was the fact that when doing +something like loading a PKCS \#8 encoded private key, a passphrase +might be needed, but then again it might not (a PKCS \#8 key doesn't +have to be encrypted). Asking for a passphrase to decrypt an +unencrypted key is rather pointless. Not only that, but the way to +handle the user typing the wrong passphrase was complicated, undocumented, and inefficient. -So now Botan has an object called \type{UI}, which provides a simple interface -for the aspects of user interaction the library has to be concerned -with. Currently, this means getting a passphrase from the user, and that's it -(\type{UI} will probably be extended in the future to support other operations -as they are needed). The base \type{UI} class is very stupid, because the -library can't directly assume anything about the environment that it's running -under (for example, if there will be someone sitting at the terminal, if the -application is even \emph{attached} to a terminal, and so on). But since you -can subclass \type{UI} to use whatever method happens to be appropriate for -your application, this isn't a big deal. +So now Botan has an object called \type{UI}, which provides a simple +interface for the aspects of user interaction the library has to be +concerned with. Currently, this means getting a passphrase from the +user, and that's it (\type{UI} will probably be extended in the future +to support other operations as they are needed). The base \type{UI} +class is very stupid, because the library can't directly assume +anything about the environment that it's running under (for example, +if there will be someone sitting at the terminal, if the application +is even \emph{attached} to a terminal, and so on). But since you can +subclass \type{UI} to use whatever method happens to be appropriate +for your application, this isn't a big deal. -\noindent -\type{std::string} \function{get\_passphrase}( - \type{const std::string&} \arg{what}, - \type{const std::string&} \arg{source}, - \type{UI\_Result\&} \arg{result}) const; +\begin{verbatim} + std::string get_passphrase(const std::string& what, + const std::string& source, + UI_Result& result) const; +\end{verbatim} The \arg{what} argument specifies what the passphrase is needed for (for example, PKCS \#8 key loading passes \arg{what} as ``PKCS \#8 private @@ -2824,7 +2847,7 @@ the algorithms listed here are (currently) thought to be safe. \item Public Key Encryption: RSA with ``EME1(SHA-256)'' \item Public Key Signatures: RSA with EMSA4 and any recommended - hash, DSA/ECDSA with ``EMSA1(SHA-256)'' + hash, or DSA or ECDSA with ``EMSA1(SHA-256)'' \item Key Agreement: Diffie-Hellman or ECDH, with ``KDF2(SHA-256)'' \end{list} @@ -2901,27 +2924,6 @@ not encumbered by patents. If you have any concerns about the patent status of any algorithm you are considering using in an application, please discuss it with your attorney. -\subsection{Recommended Reading} - -It's a very good idea if you have some knowledge of cryptography prior -to trying to use this stuff. You really should read at least one and -ideally all of these books before seriously using the library. - -\setlength{\parskip}{5pt} - -\noindent -\textit{Cryptography Engineering}, Niels Ferguson, Bruce Schneier, and -Tadayoshi Kohno; Wiley - -\noindent -\textit{Security Engineering -- A Guide to Building Dependable - Distributed Systems}, Ross Anderson; Wiley - -\noindent -\textit{Handbook of Applied Cryptography}, Alfred J. Menezes, -Paul C. Van Oorschot, and Scott A. Vanstone; CRC Press (available -online at \url{http://www.cacr.math.uwaterloo.ca/hac/}) - \subsection{Support} Questions or problems you have with Botan can be directed to the |