Re: WG LAST CALL: SECSH Public Key File Format

["Joseph Galbraith" <galb-list%vandyke.com@localhost>]

> Bill Sommerfeld <sommerfeld%east.sun.com@localhost> writes:
> 
> > This is the start of a working group LAST CALL on:
> > 
> > draft-ietf-secsh-publickeyfile-02.txt
> > SECSH Public Key File Format
> > 
> > Last Call on this document expires in three weeks, on 3 April 2002
> > (I'm giving it an extra week due to the upcoming IETF week).
> 
> I don't quite like the new rules for continuation lines and separation
> between headers and body. I'd prefer using the good old method used
> for other header-body type messages, like mail and http. I.e.:
> 
>   The (possibly) empty header part is separated from the body by an
>   empty line. Continuation lines are non-empty, and start with a
>   sequence of whitespace characters.
> 
> Then standard routines for dealing with header and body can be reused.
> Some examples of the format I'd prefer are below.

The draft documents existing practice, (except where
it was necessary to deviate for interoperability --
for example, requiring that any newline convention
be allowed.)  I suppose this would argue for informational.

On the other hand, since there is no other mechanism
for a client to give the server it's public keys, if an
implementation can't at least convert this format to its
prefered format, it won't interoperate with any clients
except its own (for public key authentication.)

In order for public key authentication to interoperate,
there must be a way to exchange public keys between the
client and the server.  This draft provides a standard
that can be used for that exchange.  This would argue for
"Standards Track"

- Joseph