Re: Creating a encrypted directory during the server installation
Good idea, but if I followed the conversation here correctly, the desire was to minimize the number of windows required for the user to pass through during the installation. Having a window where the user has to do something, that in essence, seems really really random probably isn't the best thing to put in the installer. Would it be possible to delay key generation until the system uptime has reached a certain time or the user specifically requests the key to generated (in which case they can get to hammer on their keyboard). > > On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 9:37 PM, Michael Casadevall < > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- >> Hash: SHA1 >> >> I've did some work implementing /dev/random in GNU Hurd (yes, yes, I >> know :-P). Static bootups are fairly constant, i.e., poor source of >> entropy, so that is a major problem. However, it might be possible to >> have the user provide or generate entropy (maybe a friendly message >> such as "Ubuntu needs to generate entropy to encrypt your files, >> please bang on the keyboard like a monkey"), or the ability to provide >> a private key from another source like a USB key or something. >> Michael >> >> -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- >> Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) >> Comment: http://getfiregpg.org >> >> iEYEARECAAYFAkjbB1wACgkQpblTBJ2i2psm4ACfcjq/0QyAV3PARKIgWmfNpdTy >> WKQAni0DPfLwUwW39PVklGZ32wCaS0do >> =TGV+ >> -END PGP SIGNATURE- >> >> On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 11:28 PM, Kienan Stewart >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > Hi >> > >> > I was looking at the wikipedia article on /dev/random and /dev/urandom, >> > having previously not used them. The article linked to a paper that >> analyzed >> > the cryptographic procedures of the /dev/random and /dev/urandom in >> linux. >> > The main thing that I took out of paper and the wikipedia article was >> that >> > there was a small concern about the lack of entropy available in >> /dev/random >> > during installs and on livecds. If the key is generated right after a >> > reboot, they may not be sufficiently random. I'm not sure, but this >> could be >> > a thing to consider if keys are going to be generated early in the >> install >> > procedure. Would anyone else consider this a concern? >> > >> > P.S. Sorry if I sent this to someone twice, gmail only replies to the >> last >> > writer and not the list. My apologies. >> >> >> >> On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 3:48 PM, Onno Benschop <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> wrote: >> >>> >> >>> On 24/09/08 01:43, Dustin Kirkland wrote: >> >>> > That said, let me throw out another perhaps more controversial >> >>> > option... What if we didn't ask, and we just provided ~/Private >> >>> > encrypted by default? If unspecified, the mount passphrase is >> >>> > randomly generated from 128 bits of /dev/urandom. We can do that >> >>> > completely entirely and reliably without adding a screen to the >> >>> > installer, and provide the system administrator user a secure, >> >>> > encrypted location to drop critical data by default on any Ubuntu >> >>> > Server >> >>> When I saw the previous posts come past I wondered if this wasn't a >> >>> better option. Leading by example. >> >>> >> >>> I'm not familiar with how it's created, but could it be "built-in" as >> >>> you suggest and be created when an account is made as part of the >> >>> adduser process? >> >>> >> >>> Could the (initial) pass-phrase be the user's login password? >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> -- >> >>> Onno Benschop >> >>> >> >>> Connected via Optus B3 at S31°54'06" - E115°50'39" (Yokine, WA) >> >>> -- >> >>> ()/)/)()..ASCII for Onno.. >> >>> |>>?..EBCDIC for Onno.. >> >>> --- -. -. --- ..Morse for Onno.. >> >>> >> >>> ITmaze - ABN: 56 178 057 063 - ph: 04 1219 - >> >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> -- >> >>> ubuntu-server mailing list >> >>> ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com >> >>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server >> >>> More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam >> >> >> > >> > >> > -- >> > ubuntu-server mailing list >> > ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com >> > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server >> > More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam >> > >> > > -- ubuntu-server mailing list ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam
Re: Creating a encrypted directory during the server installation
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 I've did some work implementing /dev/random in GNU Hurd (yes, yes, I know :-P). Static bootups are fairly constant, i.e., poor source of entropy, so that is a major problem. However, it might be possible to have the user provide or generate entropy (maybe a friendly message such as "Ubuntu needs to generate entropy to encrypt your files, please bang on the keyboard like a monkey"), or the ability to provide a private key from another source like a USB key or something. Michael -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: http://getfiregpg.org iEYEARECAAYFAkjbB1wACgkQpblTBJ2i2psm4ACfcjq/0QyAV3PARKIgWmfNpdTy WKQAni0DPfLwUwW39PVklGZ32wCaS0do =TGV+ -END PGP SIGNATURE- On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 11:28 PM, Kienan Stewart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi > > I was looking at the wikipedia article on /dev/random and /dev/urandom, > having previously not used them. The article linked to a paper that analyzed > the cryptographic procedures of the /dev/random and /dev/urandom in linux. > The main thing that I took out of paper and the wikipedia article was that > there was a small concern about the lack of entropy available in /dev/random > during installs and on livecds. If the key is generated right after a > reboot, they may not be sufficiently random. I'm not sure, but this could be > a thing to consider if keys are going to be generated early in the install > procedure. Would anyone else consider this a concern? > > P.S. Sorry if I sent this to someone twice, gmail only replies to the last > writer and not the list. My apologies. >> >> On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 3:48 PM, Onno Benschop <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>> On 24/09/08 01:43, Dustin Kirkland wrote: >>> > That said, let me throw out another perhaps more controversial >>> > option... What if we didn't ask, and we just provided ~/Private >>> > encrypted by default? If unspecified, the mount passphrase is >>> > randomly generated from 128 bits of /dev/urandom. We can do that >>> > completely entirely and reliably without adding a screen to the >>> > installer, and provide the system administrator user a secure, >>> > encrypted location to drop critical data by default on any Ubuntu >>> > Server >>> When I saw the previous posts come past I wondered if this wasn't a >>> better option. Leading by example. >>> >>> I'm not familiar with how it's created, but could it be "built-in" as >>> you suggest and be created when an account is made as part of the >>> adduser process? >>> >>> Could the (initial) pass-phrase be the user's login password? >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Onno Benschop >>> >>> Connected via Optus B3 at S31°54'06" - E115°50'39" (Yokine, WA) >>> -- >>> ()/)/)()..ASCII for Onno.. >>> |>>?..EBCDIC for Onno.. >>> --- -. -. --- ..Morse for Onno.. >>> >>> ITmaze - ABN: 56 178 057 063 - ph: 04 1219 - >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> ubuntu-server mailing list >>> ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com >>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server >>> More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam >> > > > -- > ubuntu-server mailing list > ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server > More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam > -- ubuntu-server mailing list ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam
Re: Creating a encrypted directory during the server installation
Hi I was looking at the wikipedia article on /dev/random and /dev/urandom, having previously not used them. The article linked to a paper that analyzed the cryptographic procedures of the /dev/random and /dev/urandom in linux. The main thing that I took out of paper and the wikipedia article was that there was a small concern about the lack of entropy available in /dev/random during installs and on livecds. If the key is generated right after a reboot, they may not be sufficiently random. I'm not sure, but this could be a thing to consider if keys are going to be generated early in the install procedure. Would anyone else consider this a concern? P.S. Sorry if I sent this to someone twice, gmail only replies to the last writer and not the list. My apologies. > > On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 3:48 PM, Onno Benschop <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> On 24/09/08 01:43, Dustin Kirkland wrote: >> > That said, let me throw out another perhaps more controversial >> > option... What if we didn't ask, and we just provided ~/Private >> > encrypted by default? If unspecified, the mount passphrase is >> > randomly generated from 128 bits of /dev/urandom. We can do that >> > completely entirely and reliably without adding a screen to the >> > installer, and provide the system administrator user a secure, >> > encrypted location to drop critical data by default on any Ubuntu >> > Server >> When I saw the previous posts come past I wondered if this wasn't a >> better option. Leading by example. >> >> I'm not familiar with how it's created, but could it be "built-in" as >> you suggest and be created when an account is made as part of the >> adduser process? >> >> Could the (initial) pass-phrase be the user's login password? >> >> >> -- >> Onno Benschop >> >> Connected via Optus B3 at S31°54'06" - E115°50'39" (Yokine, WA) >> -- >> ()/)/)()..ASCII for Onno.. >> |>>?..EBCDIC for Onno.. >> --- -. -. --- ..Morse for Onno.. >> >> ITmaze - ABN: 56 178 057 063 - ph: 04 1219 - >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> >> -- >> ubuntu-server mailing list >> ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com >> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server >> More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam >> > > -- ubuntu-server mailing list ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam
Server Team 20080923 meeting minutes
Hi, Here are the minutes of the meeting. They can also be found online with the irc logs here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MeetingLogs/Server/20080923. Ubuntu vm builder soren published a post[1] about his work on the vm-builder package. nijaba is working on updating his JeOS tutorial to use vm-builder. sommer mentioned that he planned to add a note about xen support in the virtulization section of the Ubuntu Server Guide. ACTION: sommer to update the virtulization section with a reference to xen in vm-builder [1]: http://warma.dk/blog/article/92/ Review ServerGuide for Intrepid kirkland reviewed the RAID section of the Server Guide. A section about tomcat has also been added based on the work from Koon. sommer asked what the security question in the installer was exactly doing. No one had a definite answer. ACTION: mathiaz to review the ldap section of the server guide ACTION: sommer to look into the security updates part of the installer to figure out what it does exactly and document it nagios3 in main Koon hadn't had time to ask an archive admin to look into the issue. mathiaz suggested to file a bug explaining why nagios3 didn't need a MIR and ask ubuntu-mir to approve it. Once done, the server-ship seed can be fixed. ACTION: Koon to file a bug explaining the state of nagios3, subscribe ubuntu- mir to it and get approved ACTION: mathiaz to update the server-ship to use nagios3 instead of nagios2 Beta Freeze mathiaz reminded that BetaFreeze is coming this Thursday in preparation for the Release of 8.10 Beta next week. Helping out with iso testing is welcomed. Coordination is done in #ubuntu-testing and on the Iso testing tracker[2]. [2]: http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu Server survey nijaba announced that the Ubuntu Server was ready to be launched on Wednesday, September the 24th. Canonical will issue a press release and the Ubuntu marketing team should help to get the word out. Ebox wst reported that ebox is currently broken in intrepid. mathiaz pointed him to the ebox PPA[3]. [3]: https://launchpad.net/~ebox/+archive Encrypted directory install step during the server install kirkland mentioned the ongoing thread on the ubuntu-server@ mailing list[4] about the usefulness of the Encrypted directories setup step in the server install. Discussion is still going on and feedback is welcomed. [4]: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-server/2008-September/002264.html Agree on next meeting date and time Next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 30th at 15:00 UTC in #ubuntu- meeting. -- Mathias Gug Ubuntu Developer http://www.ubuntu.com -- ubuntu-server mailing list ubuntu-server@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server More info: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ServerTeam
