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diff --git a/pipermail/pycrypto/2011q1/000366.html b/pipermail/pycrypto/2011q1/000366.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8d9b7f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/pipermail/pycrypto/2011q1/000366.html @@ -0,0 +1,117 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> +<HTML> + <HEAD> + <TITLE> [pycrypto] Comments on Elgamal, and a broader question: Whither pycrypto? + </TITLE> + <LINK REL="Index" HREF="index.html" > + <LINK REL="made" HREF="mailto:pycrypto%40lists.dlitz.net?Subject=%5Bpycrypto%5D%20Comments%20on%20Elgamal%2C%0A%20and%20a%20broader%20question%3A%20Whither%20pycrypto%3F&In-Reply-To=4D20F2FE.5020204%40amberfisharts.com"> + <META NAME="robots" CONTENT="index,nofollow"> + <META http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> + <LINK REL="Previous" HREF="000365.html"> + <LINK REL="Next" HREF="000367.html"> + </HEAD> + <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> + <H1>[pycrypto] Comments on Elgamal, and a broader question: Whither pycrypto?</H1> + <B>Thorsten Behrens</B> + <A HREF="mailto:pycrypto%40lists.dlitz.net?Subject=%5Bpycrypto%5D%20Comments%20on%20Elgamal%2C%0A%20and%20a%20broader%20question%3A%20Whither%20pycrypto%3F&In-Reply-To=4D20F2FE.5020204%40amberfisharts.com" + TITLE="[pycrypto] Comments on Elgamal, and a broader question: Whither pycrypto?">sbehrens at gmx.li + </A><BR> + <I>Sun Jan 2 17:35:52 CST 2011</I> + <P><UL> + <LI>Previous message: <A HREF="000365.html">[pycrypto] Comments on Elgamal, and a broader question: Whither pycrypto? +</A></li> + <LI>Next message: <A HREF="000367.html">[pycrypto] Comments on Elgamal, and a broader question: Whither pycrypto? +</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#366">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#366">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#366">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#366">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> + <HR> +<!--beginarticle--> +<PRE>On 1/2/2011 4:49 PM, Lorenz Quack wrote: +><i> +</I>><i> Just for the record: a "safe prime" is *not* the same thing as a "strong prime". [...] +</I>><i> pycrypto has a function for generating "strong primes" (getStrongPrime()) but not for safe primes. +</I>Correct. Also, elgamal.py doesn't call the function for strong primes. +Much less safe primes, since we don't have one of those :) + +><i> Wow! I was not aware that there is an ongoing stdlib-crypto discussion. Thanks a lot! +</I>Of course. Martin v. Loewis asked the participants there: Absent user +input, what do the experts think? And by "experts", +he explicitly referred to the pycrypto maintainers. That's you guys. I +think it makes a lot of sense to plug you into +the discussion. + +><i> Here are my 2 cents: +</I>><i> When I was looking for a python crypto package I chose pycrypto mainly for two reasons. +</I>><i> 1) It had the fewest dependencies. Only the optionally (though highly recommended) libgmp. +</I>Okay, I get that. A pycrypto-next that wraps existing libraries would +break that. This is something to weigh against the (very real) +difficulty of writing and maintaining a body of secure crypto routines. + +Hybrid models are possible. We could snag low-level crypto primitives as +source from Crypto++ and tomlib, and wrap "pythonic" things around those. + +><i> 2) The API was more pythonic than many libraries that only wrap the calls to C-functions of underlying libraries. +</I>Absolutely, that's a great strength. I'd like to see that extended to a +stronger API for public key crypto, message padding and secure key +generation. + +><i> Some people say that pycrypto should not implement the crypto primitives but rather us existing libraries. While I do +</I>><i> understand the rationale behind such a statement, I have to voice my opposition. AFAIK there are already python bindings +</I>><i> for virtually every major crypto library [1-3]. The only issue with those libraries might be the API but I would suggest +</I>><i> that one first tries to persuade the maintainers to adopt a more PEP 272 like API. +</I>Okay, that's a really good point. You make the point, if I understand +you right, that pycrypto does not need to be what others already are, +and there's something to be said for having less dependencies. + +How, then, do we go about offering secure implementations of crypto +primitives, however? + +><i> Instead I would suggest to slim down pycrypto. Support one or two of each: block cipher, public key crypto, Hash +</I>><i> function. Try to harden their implementation and then move to provide a good upper layer which takes care of padding, +</I>><i> envelope encryption and so on. +</I>I see. So, make an effort to provide the most pertinent algorithms. Do +not provide everything-under-the-Sun. Leave existing stuff in for +backwards compatibility. Then, once that is done, provide an additional +layer that helps people to implement it correctly - without ever +becoming KeyCzar. KeyCzar already exists, after all, and it depends on +pycrypto. + +><i> This way pycrypto will be a slim independent library which gets the job done. If someone really needs block cipher XYZ +</I>><i> then kindly point them to a more exhaustive package that wraps an underlying crypto library. +</I>I get your point. +><i> Feel free to disagree :) +</I>I'm just stirring the pot. It's Dwayne and you guys who make this +decision. I'm the new guy on the block who comes in with a certain +amount of fresh enthusiasm and questions the status quo. + +All the best +Thorsten + +</PRE> + + +<!--endarticle--> + <HR> + <P><UL> + <!--threads--> + <LI>Previous message: <A HREF="000365.html">[pycrypto] Comments on Elgamal, and a broader question: Whither pycrypto? +</A></li> + <LI>Next message: <A HREF="000367.html">[pycrypto] Comments on Elgamal, and a broader question: Whither pycrypto? +</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#366">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#366">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#366">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#366">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> + +<hr> +<a href="http://lists.dlitz.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pycrypto">More information about the pycrypto +mailing list</a><br> +</body></html> |