summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/website
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorJamie McClelland <jm@mayfirst.org>2008-07-28 17:55:16 -0400
committerJamie McClelland <jm@mayfirst.org>2008-07-28 17:55:16 -0400
commit46c9ed09236defc9bfd6012f5cc42efe7d206f7b (patch)
treeff94828d481b6d831047ebbbb5988704911fa240 /website
parent95fd733cb4c029b4221c162a38bb30eb1413b569 (diff)
adding back some of the plainer language description after Jamie R's
technical additions.
Diffstat (limited to 'website')
-rw-r--r--website/index.mdwn57
1 files changed, 34 insertions, 23 deletions
diff --git a/website/index.mdwn b/website/index.mdwn
index f7f9c06..d7892c8 100644
--- a/website/index.mdwn
+++ b/website/index.mdwn
@@ -1,33 +1,44 @@
-Monkeysphere is a framework to leverage the OpenPGP web of trust for
-OpenSSH authentication. OpenPGP keys are tracked via GnuPG, and added
-to the authorized\_keys and known\_hosts files used by OpenSSH for
-connection authentication.
+The Monkeysphere project's goal is to extend the web of trust model and other
+features of OpenPGP to other areas of the Internet to help us securely identify
+each other while we work online.
+
+Specifically, the Monkeysphere is a framework to leverage the OpenPGP web of
+trust for OpenSSH authentication. In other words, it allows you to use your
+OpenPGP keys when using secure shell to both identify yourself and the servers
+you administer or connect to. OpenPGP keys are tracked via GnuPG, and added to
+the authorized\_keys and known\_hosts files used by OpenSSH for connection
+authentication.
[[bugs]] | [[download]] | [[news]] | [[documentation|doc]]
## Conceptual overview ##
-[OpenSSH](http://openssh.com/) provides a functional way for
-management of explicit RSA and DSA keys (without any type of [Public
-Key Infrastructure
-(PKI)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Key_Infrastructure)). The
-basic idea of this project is to create a framework that uses
-[GnuPG](http://www.gnupg.org/)'s keyring manipulation capabilities and
-public keyservers to generate files that OpenSSH will accept and
-handle as intended. This offers users of OpenSSH an effective PKI,
-including the possibility for key transitions, transitive
-identifications, revocations, and expirations. It also actively
-invites broader participation in the
+Everyone who has used secure shell is familiar with the prompt given the first
+time you login, asking if you want to trust the server's fingerprint. In
+addition, many of us take advantage of OpenSSH's ability to use RSA or DSA keys
+for authenticating to a server, rather than relying on a password exchange.
+
+[OpenSSH](http://openssh.com/) already provides a functional way for managing
+the RSA and DSA keys required for these interactions. However, it lacks any
+type of [Public Key Infrastructure
+(PKI)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Key_Infrastructure).
+
+The basic idea of the Monkeysphere is to create a framework that uses
+[GnuPG](http://www.gnupg.org/)'s keyring manipulation capabilities and public
+keyservers to generate files that OpenSSH will accept and handle as intended.
+
+This offers users of OpenSSH an effective PKI, including the possibility for
+key transitions, transitive identifications, revocations, and expirations. It
+also actively invites broader participation in the
[OpenPGP](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openpgp) [web of
trust](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_of_trust).
-Under the Monkeysphere, both parties to an OpenSSH connection (client
-and server) have a responsibility to explicitly designate who they
-trust to certify the identity of the other party. This trust
-designation is explicitly indicated with traditional GPG keyring trust
-model. No modification is made to the SSH protocol on the wire (it
-continues to use raw RSA public keys), and it should work with
-unpatched OpenSSH software.
+Under the Monkeysphere, both parties to an OpenSSH connection (client and
+server) have a responsibility to explicitly designate who they trust to certify
+the identity of the other party. This trust designation is explicitly indicated
+with traditional GPG keyring trust model. No modification is made to the SSH
+protocol on the wire (it continues to use raw RSA public keys), and it should
+work with unpatched OpenSSH software.
Monkeysphere does not modify ssh in any way, and ssh can be used "out
of the box". Monkeysphere is a set of tools that manages keys in the
@@ -57,7 +68,7 @@ Fortunately, with online communications we have easy access to tools
that can help us navigate these problems.
[OpenPGP](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openpgp) (a cryptographic
protocol commonly used for sending signed and encrypted email
-messagess) is one such tool. In its simplest form, it allows us to
+messages) is one such tool. In its simplest form, it allows us to
sign our communication in such a way that the recipient can verify the
sender.