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-rw-r--r--README.md54
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Nickserver
==================================
-Nickserver is the opposite of a key server. A key server allows you to lookup
-keys, and the UIDs associated with a particular key. A nickserver allows you
-to query a particular 'nick' (e.g. username@example.org) and get back relevant
-public key information for that nick.
+Nickserver is a server running the Nicknym protocol. This daemon can be run by service providers in order to support Nicknym.
-Nickserver has the following properties:
+Nicknym is a protocol to map user nicknames to public keys. With Nicknym, the user is able to think solely in terms of nickname, while still being able to communicate with a high degree of security (confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity). Essentially, Nicknym is a system for binding human-memorable nicknames to a cryptographic key via automatic discovery and automatic validation.
-* Written in Ruby, licensed GPLv3
+For more information, see https://leap.se/nicknym
+
+About nickserver:
+
+* Written in Ruby 1.9, licensed GPLv3
* Lightweight and scalable (high concurrency, reasonable latency)
* Uses asynchronous network IO for both server and client connections (via EventMachine)
-* Attempts to reply to queries using four different methods:
- * Cached key in CouchDB (coming soon)
- * Webfinger (coming soon)
- * DNS (maybe?)
- * HKP keyserver pool (https://hkps.pool.sks-keyservers.net)
-
-Why Nickserver?
-----------------------------------
-Why bother writing Nickserver instead of just using the existing HKP keyservers?
+API
+==================================
-* Keyservers are fundamentally different: Nickserver is a registry of 1:1
- mapping from nick (uid) to public key. Keyservers are directories of public
- keys, which happen to have some uid information in the subkeys, but there is
- no way to query for an exact uid.
+You query the nickserver via HTTP. The API is very minimal:
-* Support clients: the goal is to provide clients with a cloud-based method of
- rapidly and easily converting nicks to keys. Client code can stay simple by
- pushing more of the work to the server.
+ curl -X POST -d address=alice@domain.org https://nicknym.domain.org:6425
-* Enhancements over keyservers: the goal with Nickserver is to support future
- enhancements like webfinger, DNS key lookup, mail-back verification, network
- perspective, and fast distribution of short lived keys.
+The response consists of a signed JSON document with fields for the available public keys corresponding to the address.
-* Scalable: the goal is for a service that can handle many simultaneous
- requests very quickly with low memory consumption.
+For more details, see https://leap.se/nicknym
-API
+Requirements
==================================
-You query the nickserver via HTTP. The API is very minimal at the moment:
-
- curl -X GET hostname:6425/key/<uid>
-
-Returns the OpenPGP public key for uid (ascii encoded).
+Ruby 1.9
+CouchDB
Installation
==================================
You have three fine options for installing nickserver:
-Install the gem:
-
- $ gem install nickserver
-
Install from source:
$ git clone git://leap.se/nickserver
@@ -68,6 +47,7 @@ Install for development:
$ git clone git://leap.se/nickserver
$ cd nickserver
$ bundle
+ $ rake test
Usage
==================================