[Freedombox-discuss] Best way to get involved?

[Melvin Carvalho]

On 5 February 2012 19:35, James Vasile <vasile at freedomboxfoundation.org> wrote:
> Every once in a while I post a list of tasks to this list.  I should put
> them on a web page.  Here are some current todos.  If you are interested
> in any of these, please contact me for more information.
>
> Replacing ssl hierarchy with a gpg-based web of trust.  This involved
> some scripting, some work with ssl certs, modfiying mod-gnutls and maybe
> some browser plugins.
>
> Improving the FreedomBox Privoxy filters.  We need test scripts and
> more/better filters.  Reimplementing the current hack that lets privoxy
> do multiple redirect URLs as a proper bit of C code would also be quite
> useful.
>
> Proxying.  This one is easy: we could use a script that sets up a
> port-forwarded connection to the freedombox-privoxy server for a
> particular user and secures that connection via monkeysphere.
>
> Config layer design.  We would like the front end to talk to a middle
> layer that handles system config.  That middle layer then talks to the
> system and sets options (e.g. by twiddling text files).  No work had
> been done on that middle layer so far and it needs to be designed from
> the ground up.
>
> Front-end work.  Plinth is our current front end proposal.  It could use
> design work, cleanup and reimagining.
>
> User database.  A freedombox serves/interacts with users.  We need ACLs
> for them, settable via the front-end.  In the current vision, users are
> identified primarily via their gpg key.

I think there's a possible way to improve the identity architecture of
FBX, that is worth considering.

I like GPG and use it often, but I am assuming that freedomboxes users
will also run a web profile under SSL.

What about linking your web user profile, to your GPG key, but putting
it in your profile page (using the html5 data layer).  In this way you
get all the benefits of a web oriented user presence AND the benefits
of GPG, and as a side effect you get further extensibility for free,
when it is needed..

Why do it this way round?  Because the foundational principle of the
Web is to allow linking at scale.

I would assume that it's less easy to link a GPG key to a Web
presence?  (That may be an incorrect assumption tho ...)

>
> Welcome script. When a user first plugs in a virgin freedombox, she
> should be walked through setup, key generation, etc.  We need a web
> script that does this interaction in an informative, no-hassle way and
> computes/generates any other needed data.
>
> Santiago Port.  I have started experimenting with using a tor hidden
> service as a way to find FreedomBoxes wherever they might be.  A
> FreedomBox should listen on its hidden service port and respond to login
> requests and informational queries (e.g. "How can I reach you, what is
> your ip?").  Tor is too slow to pass all our traffic on it as a matter
> of course, so communication over this Santiago port is really about
> setting up further communication over other channels.  I've started to
> extend Plinth to do this, but haven't published the branch yet.  If
> anybody is interested in helping with this, I'll put the branch up.
>
> There's other work of course, but that list is a good start.
>
> Thanks!
>
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