/mandos/release

To get this branch, use:
bzr branch http://bzr.recompile.se/loggerhead/mandos/release

« back to all changes in this revision

Viewing changes to intro.xml

  • Committer: Teddy Hogeborn
  • Date: 2022-04-25 18:33:20 UTC
  • mfrom: (237.7.808 trunk)
  • Revision ID: teddy@recompile.se-20220425183320-w83scg055sinkow4
Merge from trunk

Show diffs side-by-side

added added

removed removed

Lines of Context:
1
1
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
2
2
<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
3
3
"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
4
 
<!ENTITY TIMESTAMP "2019-02-10">
 
4
<!ENTITY TIMESTAMP "2020-09-16">
5
5
<!ENTITY % common SYSTEM "common.ent">
6
6
%common;
7
7
]>
39
39
      <year>2017</year>
40
40
      <year>2018</year>
41
41
      <year>2019</year>
 
42
      <year>2020</year>
42
43
      <holder>Teddy Hogeborn</holder>
43
44
      <holder>Björn Påhlsson</holder>
44
45
    </copyright>
131
132
    </para>
132
133
    <para>
133
134
      So, at boot time, the Mandos client will ask for its encrypted
134
 
      data over the network, decrypt it to get the password, use it to
135
 
      decrypt the root file, and continue booting.
 
135
      data over the network, decrypt the data to get the password, use
 
136
      the password to decrypt the root file system, and the client can
 
137
      then continue booting.
136
138
    </para>
137
139
    <para>
138
140
      Now, of course the initial RAM disk image is not on the
144
146
      long, and will no longer give out the encrypted key.  The timing
145
147
      here is the only real weak point, and the method, frequency and
146
148
      timeout of the server’s checking can be adjusted to any desired
147
 
      level of paranoia
 
149
      level of paranoia.
148
150
    </para>
149
151
    <para>
150
152
      (The encrypted keys on the Mandos server is on its normal file
383
385
      plugin requirements.
384
386
    </para>
385
387
  </refsect1>
386
 
  
 
388
 
 
389
  <refsect1 id="systemd">
 
390
    <title>SYSTEMD</title>
 
391
    <para>
 
392
      More advanced startup systems like <citerefentry><refentrytitle
 
393
      >systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
 
394
      already have their own plugin-like mechanisms for allowing
 
395
      multiple agents to independently retrieve a password and deliver
 
396
      it to the subsystem requesting a password to unlock the root
 
397
      file system.  On these systems, it would make no sense to run
 
398
      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>plugin-runner</refentrytitle
 
399
      ><manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>, the plugins of
 
400
      which would largely duplicate the work of (and conflict with)
 
401
      the existing systems prompting for passwords.
 
402
    </para>
 
403
    <para>
 
404
      As for <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd</refentrytitle
 
405
      ><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry> in particular, it has
 
406
      its own <ulink
 
407
      url="https://systemd.io/PASSWORD_AGENTS/">Password
 
408
      Agents</ulink> system.  Mandos uses this via its
 
409
      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>password-agent</refentrytitle
 
410
      ><manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry> program, which is
 
411
      run instead of <citerefentry><refentrytitle
 
412
      >plugin-runner</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum
 
413
      ></citerefentry> when <citerefentry><refentrytitle
 
414
      >systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>
 
415
      is used during system startup.
 
416
    </para>
 
417
  </refsect1>
387
418
  <refsect1 id="bugs">
388
419
    <title>BUGS</title>
389
420
    <xi:include href="bugs.xml"/>
404
435
      <manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
405
436
      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>plugin-runner</refentrytitle>
406
437
      <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
 
438
      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>password-agent</refentrytitle>
 
439
      <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
407
440
      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>mandos-client</refentrytitle>
408
441
      <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
409
442
      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>password-prompt</refentrytitle>