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  • Committer: Teddy Hogeborn
  • Date: 2023-02-07 19:29:28 UTC
  • mto: This revision was merged to the branch mainline in revision 408.
  • Revision ID: teddy@recompile.se-20230207192928-ueasjbsufb92o6ud
Clarify documentation and a comment about GnuTLS versions

* clients.conf ([foo]/secret): In the comment for the example client's
  "secret" setting, clarify GnuTLS version conditions.
* mandos-clients.conf.xml (OPTIONS/fingerprint, OPTIONS/key_id):
  Clarify required/optional status under different GnuTLS versions.

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intro.xml
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
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"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
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<!ENTITY TIMESTAMP "2019-02-09">
 
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<!ENTITY TIMESTAMP "2020-09-16">
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<!ENTITY % common SYSTEM "common.ent">
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%common;
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]>
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      <year>2016</year>
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      <year>2017</year>
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      <year>2018</year>
 
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      <year>2019</year>
 
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      <year>2020</year>
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      <holder>Teddy Hogeborn</holder>
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      <holder>Björn Påhlsson</holder>
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    </copyright>
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    </para>
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    <para>
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      So, at boot time, the Mandos client will ask for its encrypted
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      data over the network, decrypt it to get the password, use it to
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      decrypt the root file, and continue booting.
 
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      data over the network, decrypt the data to get the password, use
 
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      the password to decrypt the root file system, and the client can
 
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      then continue booting.
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    </para>
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    <para>
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      Now, of course the initial RAM disk image is not on the
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      long, and will no longer give out the encrypted key.  The timing
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      here is the only real weak point, and the method, frequency and
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      timeout of the server’s checking can be adjusted to any desired
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      level of paranoia
 
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      level of paranoia.
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    </para>
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    <para>
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      (The encrypted keys on the Mandos server is on its normal file
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      plugin requirements.
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    </para>
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  </refsect1>
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  <refsect1 id="systemd">
 
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    <title>SYSTEMD</title>
 
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    <para>
 
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      More advanced startup systems like <citerefentry><refentrytitle
 
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      >systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
 
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      already have their own plugin-like mechanisms for allowing
 
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      multiple agents to independently retrieve a password and deliver
 
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      it to the subsystem requesting a password to unlock the root
 
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      file system.  On these systems, it would make no sense to run
 
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      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>plugin-runner</refentrytitle
 
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      ><manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>, the plugins of
 
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      which would largely duplicate the work of (and conflict with)
 
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      the existing systems prompting for passwords.
 
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    </para>
 
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    <para>
 
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      As for <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd</refentrytitle
 
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      ><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry> in particular, it has
 
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      its own <ulink
 
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      url="https://systemd.io/PASSWORD_AGENTS/">Password
 
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      Agents</ulink> system.  Mandos uses this via its
 
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      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>password-agent</refentrytitle
 
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      ><manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry> program, which is
 
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      run instead of <citerefentry><refentrytitle
 
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      >plugin-runner</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum
 
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      ></citerefentry> when <citerefentry><refentrytitle
 
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      >systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>
 
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      is used during system startup.
 
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    </para>
 
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  </refsect1>
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  <refsect1 id="bugs">
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    <title>BUGS</title>
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    <xi:include href="bugs.xml"/>
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      <manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
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      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>plugin-runner</refentrytitle>
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      <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
 
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      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>password-agent</refentrytitle>
 
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      <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
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      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>mandos-client</refentrytitle>
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      <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
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      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>password-prompt</refentrytitle>