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