Use Case: storing WebCrypto generated public key for an app

[bblfish]

I have a simple foaf-browser application that can produce a public key using Http-Signature ((but this issue would be the same were I to use webid-rsa)). I can't really test it without saving that key. So I need a space for the application to save that key which can then identify the application when used by that browser.

[bblfish]

As this is bound to take a lot of iterations to work out correctly I opened a wiki page so that edits can be placed together:
https://github.com/read-write-web/SoLiD/wiki/Storing-an-Apps-Public-Key

[timbl]

Please state the objective. And when you say "app" do you mean always "web app with a given origin"? Do you mean here the public key of a given origin? If so, cac one use the TLS cert public key for that origin?

[bblfish]

My use case was to store the WebCrypto generated public key on the server to give apps from that origin access to the apps' folder where the user could store her preferences. This was in order to finish my implementation of HTTP-Signature documented in issue-52 of solid-spec

After discussion on gitter I realised that acl:origin would solve one important part of this problem, and also that it would allow this to work with WebID-TLS too! So that is really neat, and opens a few possibilities I had not thought of.

[bblfish]

There is a pull request out now for this, so it's easier to comment on the details
Pull Request 60

[bblfish]

I have continued editing this on my wiki, as it is easier to think that way, and as my PR is taking time to get reviewed.

I have now looked at four protocol options:

• P1: Publish the key in a public space (perhaps using a distributed hash table protocol)
• P2: Create a Container for the application in the user's application space and save the key there
• P3: Place the key in a Specialised Basic Container
• P4: Place the key in a specialised (In)direct Container that also adds the link from the webid to the key

[Mitzi-Laszlo]

You can find more conversation on this subject here https://forum.solidproject.org/t/use-case-storing-webcrypto-generated-public-key-for-an-app/386