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author | Jacob Appelbaum <jacob@appelbaum.net> | 2008-07-15 07:20:55 +0000 |
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committer | Jacob Appelbaum <jacob@appelbaum.net> | 2008-07-15 07:20:55 +0000 |
commit | bba235053d230e7a935ad1906b56df6e95348f62 (patch) | |
tree | 5edf07217fd69490b1d55dcfbf3788e9922c4bf0 /proposals/153-automatic-software-update-protocol.txt | |
parent | 1ebdd6fa825752789556739823d0eeede8d21c25 (diff) | |
download | torspec-bba235053d230e7a935ad1906b56df6e95348f62.tar.gz torspec-bba235053d230e7a935ad1906b56df6e95348f62.zip |
An initial check in of the automatic update program. Mixed ideas, needs much work and spliting.
svn:r15925
Diffstat (limited to 'proposals/153-automatic-software-update-protocol.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | proposals/153-automatic-software-update-protocol.txt | 175 |
1 files changed, 175 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/proposals/153-automatic-software-update-protocol.txt b/proposals/153-automatic-software-update-protocol.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d87afca --- /dev/null +++ b/proposals/153-automatic-software-update-protocol.txt @@ -0,0 +1,175 @@ +Filename: 153-automatic-software-update-protocol.txt +Title: Automatic software update protocol +Version: $Revision$ +Last-Modified: $Date$ +Author: Jacob Appelbaum +Created: 14-July-2008 +Status: Draft + + + Automatic Software Update Protocol Proposal + +0.0 Introduction + +The Tor project and its users require a robust method to update shipped +software bundles. The software bundles often includes Vidalia, Privoxy, Polipo, +Torbutton and of course Tor itself. It is not inconcievable that an update +could include all of the Tor Browser Bundle. It seems reasonable to make this +a standalone program that can be called in shell scripts, cronjobs or by +various Tor controllers. + +0.1 Minimal Tasks To Implement Automatic Updating + +At the most minimal, an update must be able to do the following: + + 0 - Detect the curent Tor version, note the working status of Tor. + 1 - Detect the latest Tor version. + 2 - Fetch the latest version in the form of a platform specific package(s). + 3 - Verify the itegrity of the downloaded package(s). + 4 - Install the verified package(s). + 5 - Test that the new package(s) works properly. + +0.2 Specific Enumeration Of Minimal Tasks + +To implement requirement 0, we need to detect the current Tor version of both +the updater and the current running Tor. The update program itself should be +versioned internally. This requirement should also test connecting through Tor +itself and note if such connections are possible. + +To implement requirement 1, we need to learn the concensus from the directory +authorities or fail back to a known good URL with cryptographically signed +content. + +To implement requirement 2, we need to download Tor - hopefully over Tor. + +To implement requirement 3, we need to verify the package signature. + +To implement requirement 4, we need to use a platform specific method of +installation. The Tor controller performing the update perform these platform +specific methods. + +To implement requirement 5, we need to be able to extend circuits and reach +the internet through Tor. + +0.x Implementation Goals + +The update system will be cross platform and rely on as little external code +as possible. If the update system uses it, it must be updated by the update +system itself. It will consist only of free software and will not rely on any +non-free components until the actual installation phase. If a package manager +is in use, it will be platform specific and thus only invoked by the update +system implementing the update protocol. + +The update system itself will attempt to perform update related network +activity over Tor. Possibly it will attempt to use a hidden service first. +It will attempt to use novel and not so novel caching +when possible, it will always verify cryptographic signatures before any +remotely fetched code is executed. In the event of an unusable Tor system, +it will be able to attempt to fetch updates without Tor. This should be user +configurable, some users will be unwilling to update without the protection of +using Tor - others will simply be unable because of blocking of the main Tor +website. + +The update system will track current version numbers of Tor and supporting +software. The update system will also track known working versions to assist +with automatic The update system itself will be a standalone library. It will be +strongly versioned internally to match the Tor bundle it was shiped with. The +update system will keep track of the given platform, cpu architecture, lsb_release, +package management functionality and any other platform specific metadata. + +We have referenced two popular automatic update systems, though neither fit +our needs, both are useful as an idea of what others are doing in the same +area. + +The first is sparkle[0] but it is sadly only available for Cocoa +environments and is written in Objective C. This doesn't meet our requirements +because it is directly tied into the private Apple framework. + +The second is the Mozilla Automatic Update System[1]. It is possibly useful +as an idea of how other free software projects automatically update. It is +however not useful in its currently documented form. + + + [0] http://sparkle.andymatuschak.org/documentation/ + [1] http://wiki.mozilla.org/AUS:Manual + +0.x Previous methods of Tor and related software update + +Previously, Tor users updated their Tor related software by hand. There has +been no fully automatic method for any user to update. In addition, there +hasn't been any specific way to find out the most current stable version of Tor +or related software as voted on by the directory authority concensus. + +0.x Changes to the directory specification + +We will want to supplement client-versions and server-versions in the +concensus voting with another version identifier known as +'auto-update-versions'. This will keep track of the current concensus of +specific versions that are best per platform and per architecture. It should +be noted that while the Mac OS X universal binary may be the best for x86 +processers with Tiger, it may not be the best for PPC users on Panther. This +goes for all of the package updates. We want to prevent updates that cause Tor +to break even if the updating program can recover gracefully. + +x.x Assumptions About Operating System Package Management + +It is assumed that users will use their package manager unless they are on +Microsoft Windows (any version) or Mac OS X (any version). Microsoft Windows +users will have integration with the normal "add/remove program" functionality +that said users would expect. + +x.x Package Update System Failure Modes + +The package update will try to ensure that a user always has a working Tor at +the very least. It will keep state to remember versions of Tor that were able +to bootstrap properly and reach the rest of the Tor network. It will also keep +note of which versions broke. It will select the best Tor that works for the +user. It will also allow for anonymized bug reporting on the packages +available and tested by the auto-update system. + +x.x Package Signature Verification + +The update system will be aware of replay attacks against the update signature +system itself. It will not allow package update signatures that are radically +out of date. It will be a multi-key system to prevent any single party from +forging an update. The key will be updated regularly. This is like authority +key (see proposal 103) usage. + +x.x Package Caching + +The update system will iterate over different update methods. Whichever method +is picked will have caching functionality. Each Tor server itself should be +able to serve cached update files. This will be an option that friendly server +administrators can turn on should they wish to support caching. In addition, +it is possible to cache the full contents of a package in an +authoratative DNS zone. Users can then query the DNS zone for their package. +If we wish to further distribute the update load, we can also offer packages +with encrypted bittorrent. Clients who wish to share the updates but do not +wish to be a server can help distribute Tor updates. This can be tied together +with the DNS caching[2][3] if needed. + + [2] http://www.netrogenic.com/dnstorrent/ + [3] http://www.doxpara.com/ozymandns_src_0.1.tgz + +x.x Helping Our Users Spread Tor + +There should be a way for a user to participate in the packaging caching as +described in section x.x. This option should be presented by the Tor +controller. + +x.x Simple HTTP Proxy To The Tor Project Website + +It has been suggested that we should provide a simple proxy that allows a user +to visit the main Tor website to download packages. This was part of a +previous proposal and has not been closely examined. + +x.x Package Installation + +Platform specific methods for proper package installation will be left to the +controller that is calling for an update. Each platform is different, the +installation options and user interface will be specific to the controller in +question. + +x.x Other Things + +Other things should be added to this proposal. What are they? |