On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 9:29 PM teor teor@riseup.net wrote:
Hi,
On 22 Feb 2019, at 07:59, Iain Learmonth irl@torproject.org wrote:
Signed PGP part Hi All,
#28465 [0] needed a proposal. Feedback is welcome and encouraged. I've not written a proposal before, so if someone could let me know if I'm following the process OK (or not) then that is useful too.
[0] https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/28465
<xxx-dont-vote-on-package-fingerprints.txt>
Proposal:
Abstract
I propose modifying the Tor consensus document to remove digests of the latest versions of one or more package files, to prevent software using Tor from determining its up-to-dateness, and to hinder users wanting to verify that they are getting the correct software.
I had to read this paragraph twice to understand it. The way it's written, it sounds like we're doing a bad thing. (Until I read the "security" section at the end of the proposal.)
Can you mention the positive aspects in the Abstract?
Proposal
We deprecate the "package" line in the specification for votes.
If the consensus method is at least XX then "package" lines should not appear in consensuses.
Let's be a bit more precise:
We allocate a consensus method when this proposal is implemented. Let's call it consensus method N.
If the consensus method is between 19 and (N-1), "package" lines MAY appear in consensuses. If the consensus method is less than 19, or at least N, "package" lines MUST NOT appear in consensuses.
I'd suggest a slightly different phrasing above: There is no "MAY" in the contents of a consensus, to the extent that the contents of the consensus are supposed to be deterministic given its inputs.
Instead I'd go with a phrasing like, "Authorities will continue computing consensus package lines in the consensus if the consensus method is between 19 and (N-1). If the consensus method is N or later, they omit these lines."