[python-crypto] Add AES to amkCrypto?

[PC Drew]

Wednesday, January 31, 2001, 8:32:27 AM, you wrote:

>>
>> I didn't know that his API was the defacto standard, but I like the
>> way he has it organized.  I'm not saying that we should start from the
>> drawing board, I'm only saying that we should document a formal API
>> for writing crypto algorithms and publish it (on python.org?).  Then
>> trying to get that in the Python distribution.  You're saying it's the
>> defacto standard, all I'm proposing is that we actually make a
>> standard and use Andrew's code as the framework.

MAL> You mean wrap Andrew's docs as HTML file ? That should be
MAL> possible (his docs are written in LaTeX).

A little bit more than that, but yeah.  I need to look at his
documentation again, but I want to formally document the API and then
post it.  In addition to that, I want to have a standard, cross
platform install (if possible), similar to that of the XML SIG
install.  I want to create a crypto abstraction layer to be something
like this:

ciphertext = encrypt("DES", plaintext)

(obviously not exactly like that, but you get my drift) so that people
can easily change this to be:

ciphertext = encrypt("AES", plaintext)

when the need arises.  All of these ideas are just that.  That's why I
want to create a SIG for this...to discuss all of these ideas.

MAL> We could then have a python.org page for it much like the
MAL> database API page and probably also move this mailing list
MAL> there as crypto-sig.

>> MAL> There's really no need to design yet another API...
>>
>> MAL> As for integrating AES into amkCrypto, I think the best way is
>> MAL> to wait until OpenSLL has support for it and then integrate
>> MAL> that support into amkCrypto.
>>
>> Just out of curiosity, why do you think that?  I don't know anything
>> about the development of OpenSSL so I don't know how they do things.
>> Why wouldn't it be prudent to "just do it"?

MAL> Because the maintainers of OpenSSL are really smart guys and
MAL> know a lot about writing code which runs as fast as possible.

MAL> Maintaining such code (usually a combination of C and assembler)
MAL> to run on multiple platforms isn't a simple task at all, but they are
MAL> doing a great job at it.

So how does that library work, and how does it correspond to
amkCrypto?  Doe the OpenSSL guys write it in C and then someone wraps
it for Python?  If so, then what's the difference between that and
amkCrypto?

MAL> If you don't want to wait, though, go ahead and wrap the
MAL> AES C code into a Python module using the same APIs as the
MAL> other ciphers in amkCrypto. People will then be able to upgrade
MAL> to the OpenSSL based ciphers later on.

I'm thinking about that...see above questions though.



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