Re: Linux crypto?

Alan Cox
2002-05-22T18:19:35Z

> I noticed that Motorola has published a set of tech
> docs for their S1-range of crypto co-processors, which
> look pretty comprehensive. (The 190 looks to be a very
> nice chip, which -as best as I can tell- just plugs
> straight onto a PCI bus.) Other co-pro manufacturers
> (such as HIFN) seem to also have humungous tech
> manuals for their crypto chips.
>
> Is anyone working on drivers for these beasties?

You might want to check on the apache and openssl lists. A lot of
crypto drivers are handled from userspace directly or with modules
that don't hit the base kernel.

> Given the ipfilter design, would there be any way to
> use those chips as an additional networking layer?
> (And, just as importantly, would there be any point?)

Some of that probably can be offloaded. You'd need code (preferably in
the user tools) that can compute if a given path through the ipchains
rules is expressable in the hardware and if so to enable it. In terms
of things like flow control and other magic try netdev@oss.sgi.com. Dave
and Jamal get very excited when they talk about NAPI but it just makes
my head hurt 8)

> Ignoring, for a second, the US export laws (which are
> no longer an issue, anyway), is there some fundamental
> reason why the IKP seems to be ignored? If there is,
> then does anyone know of any re-design/re-write
> effort?

What of it do you actually need in kernel space - encrypted file systems
certainly ought to be there but are not very well handled in Linux proper
right now - but anything else ?