Re: Network protocol for linux-hotplug.

["Randy.Dunlap" <rddunlap@osdlab.org>]

Dmitri wrote:
> 
> Quoting Stamatis Mitrofanis <ewstam@softhome.net>:
> 
> > It had occurred to me that it might be a good idea to make things such
> > that unsatisfied hotplug requests are forwarded through the network to
> > certain database servers.
> 
> > This automatic-downloading system must be very small, very uniform and
> > very simple to implement. Questions that need answers:
> 
> > - What protocol do we use for communication of the user system with the
> > server system? (must be well-known and standard)
> 
> http:// and nothing else. This is because of firewalls and proxies
> that are capable of handling it. Other protocols/ports are often
> blocked from leaving intranets. Also, all http:// infrastructure is
> already available and widely deployed, allowing easy mirroring.
> 
> > - How do we organize scripts and programs to do the job?
> 
> wget http://www.kernel.org/cgi-bin/getdriver?bus=usb&pid=0x1234&vid=0x5678
> tar xzvf usb_0x1234_0x5678.tar.gz
> cd usb_0x1234_0x5678 && make && make install
> 
> > - What will be the formats for drivers downloaded from the net?
> 
> likely, tarballs - but .rpm or .deb is also OK, as long as the originator
> of the request asked for them, *and* as long as they are available. This
> means that the script has to know how to fall back to the tarball.
> 
> > - <insert your question here>
> 
> Add mandatory signatures to all packages, and mandatory checking of
> said signatures vs. hardcoded list of identities (public keys).
> This means that only holders of these keys can publish drivers.
> Otherwise this will be insecure, to put it mildly :-)

I must strongly agree with Dmitri's last statement.
Without some form of security checking, this scheme is a huge
open hole for danger.

But like Keith said, source code is the only form that
scales and works on all types of platforms, at least right now.

~Randy

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