There had been always unified API: PKCS#11. Well, at Microsoft environment there was CryptoAPI Provider. The good about the CryptoAPI is that it allowed enough flexibility so that, for example, you could have created a generic CryptoAPI provider on-top of PKCS#11.
In the MiniDriver, Microsoft advanced too far. It created a dependency between Microsoft specific data and on-card implementation. It also created a dependency between configuration and card content. So now, instead of providing a single API (PKCS#11) and a single bridge for Microsoft environment (CryptoAPI Provider->PKCS#11) you need to work much harder. Alon. On Sun, Aug 14, 2011 at 7:20 AM, Anders Rundgren <anders.rundg...@telia.com> wrote: > > Writing card drivers is quite difficult. That's why Microsoft introduced the > "MiniDriver". > > The driver model has been very successful for printers since printers have > widely different characteristics. Cryptographic operations OTOH leave very > little (if any) room for variations. > > Although cards may differ in features, using unified high-level APIs like the > MiniDriver this will either be hard to access or more likely: Never be > utilized. > > Open question: Since the MiniDriver gives a unified card API, wouldn't it be > easier defining a FIXED API/DRIVER and rather let the cards adapt to that? > Certifying a gazillion third-party drivers including multiple card versions > doesn't appear to be a particularly swift project. > > With a fully unified card API you can target all cards with a fairly simple > test-suite and delegate the certification to the card vendors. This should > dramatically improve system reliability which always has been a weak point, > particularly for consumer computers. > > Anders > > _______________________________________________ > opensc-devel mailing list > opensc-devel@lists.opensc-project.org > http://www.opensc-project.org/mailman/listinfo/opensc-devel _______________________________________________ opensc-devel mailing list opensc-devel@lists.opensc-project.org http://www.opensc-project.org/mailman/listinfo/opensc-devel
