1 Filename: 123-autonaming.txt
2 Title: Naming authorities automatically create bindings
5 Author: Peter Palfrader
8 Implemented-In: 0.2.0.x
12 Tor's directory authorities can give certain servers a "Named" flag
13 in the network-status entry, when they want to bind that nickname to
14 that identity key. This allows clients to specify a nickname rather
15 than an identity fingerprint and still be certain they're getting the
18 Authority operators name a server by adding their nickname and
19 identity fingerprint to the 'approved-routers' file. Historically
20 being listed in the file was required for a router, at first for being
21 listed in the directory at all, and later in order to be used by
22 clients as a first or last hop of a circuit.
24 Adding identities to the list of named routers so far has been a
25 manual, time consuming, and boring job. Given that and the fact that
26 the Tor network works just fine without named routers the last
27 authority to keep a current binding list stopped updating it well over
30 Naming, if it were done, would serve a useful purpose however in that
31 users can have a reasonable expectation that the exit server Bob they
32 are using in their http://www.google.com.bob.exit/ URL is the same
36 I propose that identity<->name binding be completely automated:
38 New bindings should be added after the router has been around for a
39 bit and their name has not been used by other routers, similarly names
40 that have not appeared on the network for a long time should be freed
41 in case a new router wants to use it.
43 The following rules are suggested:
44 i) If a named router has not been online for half a year, the
45 identity<->name binding for that name is removed. The nickname
46 is free to be taken by other routers now.
47 ii) If a router claims a certain nickname and
48 a) has been on the network for at least two weeks, and
49 b) that nickname is not yet linked to a different router, and
50 c) no other router has wanted that nickname in the last month,
51 a new binding should be created for this router and its desired
54 This automaton does not necessarily need to live in the Tor code, it
55 can do its job just as well when it's an external tool.