Re: OpenID enabling patch for OpenSSL and PHP 5

Hi Wez, On 2/10/07, Wez Furlong <wez@omniti.com> wrote:

I'd like to tuck the attached patch into the PHP 5 branch. It provides the following functions, and does not modify the behavior of any of the others: openssl_bignum_from_bin openssl_bignum_from_hex openssl_bignum_from_dec openssl_bignum_to_string openssl_dh_generate_key openssl_dh_compute_key openssl_dh_get_params openssl_dh_generate_parameters openssl_dsa_verify These functions allow one to implement OpenID and TypeKey authentication schemes without resorting to writing crypto code in user-space PHP--aside from the speed advantage, you have the benefit of using the tried and trusted OpenSSL for your DH kex.

As the idea is good (we discussed it many times), I would like a cleaner approach. The main problem in ext/openssl is its API. We added new functions for each small features addition, even if the feature itself is 99% the same as an existing function. The Big numbers API is not an exception. It can be even worst as it is really a single instance (a openssl big number) which can be processed (BN operations), exported or set. If you are in a hurry, I can clean my patch for the OO interface and prepare a php5 version. I think it would definitively better. However, if other prefers to go with your new functions for now, it will not be a big problem, it only clutters the api a bit more ;). Cheers, --Pierre