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Date:      Thu, 14 Jan 2016 09:00:39 -0800
From:      Hubbard Jordan <jkh@ixsystems.com>
To:        Mark Heily <mark@heily.com>
Cc:        FreeBSD Hackers <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: relaunchd: a portable clone of launchd
Message-ID:  <627C5AFF-6757-404D-AF6B-A27ECF19B555@ixsystems.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAGfo=8mQ3xRck_sGr%2B0g%2B9mfD8bPSauMoPK-qk-ns3-qzbtn7A@mail.gmail.com>
References:  <5687D3A9.5050400@NTLWorld.com> <CAGfo=8kXzNVKy9gx0jkME4iRRyrgrsfpPnW3nYrZC0gysapPcg@mail.gmail.com> <817860B6-5D67-41A3-ADD7-9757C7E67C35@gmail.com> <alpine.BSF.2.20.1601081020270.34827@nog2.angryox.com> <07D83705-D89F-4125-B57B-920EDEBC8A85@rdsor.ro> <70975696-3E07-48B9-BFD1-3C2F51E715BB@icloud.com> <E85C42D4-963B-4632-9182-E591A80D1306@rdsor.ro> <76E6AF2A-917B-41EB-883A-C27AB2BB9F71@ixsystems.com> <20160112125948.GH3625@kib.kiev.ua> <1D6BDF3C-28E7-40C4-A8A2-3A914A3CC76B@ixsystems.com> <CAGfo=8mBhCPUH8cxmo2z_GDUfknojSnyUTyBC6Wzk=BR=oA%2Big@mail.gmail.com> <66E766F4-66D5-41E1-B6E7-18E218B3711F@ixsystems.com> <CAGfo=8mQ3xRck_sGr%2B0g%2B9mfD8bPSauMoPK-qk-ns3-qzbtn7A@mail.gmail.com>

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> On Jan 14, 2016, at 5:40 AM, Mark Heily <mark@heily.com> wrote:
>=20
>=20
> Do you have any specific examples of how an "extensible security
> trailer" would be used?

securityd in OS X and how it=E2=80=99s part of the cryptographically =
signed binary authentication mechanism (where only executables with =
specific signatures can talk to other trusted services).  You have to =
have an un-spoofable and controllable startup process without race =
conditions in the filesystem to do that kind of trusted IPC in a way =
that=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9Cunbreakable enough=E2=80=9D to base the rest of =
your security architecture on it.

Again, I cannot give you direct experience with one of the oldest and =
most widely deployed Mach IPC-based technologies in the world today, =
that=E2=80=99s something you have to get for yourself.

> Even better, can you demonstrate that Mach is
> the only way to implement this concept?

Of course it=E2=80=99s not the *only* way (one could arguably just =
redesign something very similar to Mach but not Mach) but again, Mach =
IPC already exists.  Today.  It=E2=80=99s been tested and vetted for =
years.  Any new solution would have to go through the same process, and =
I certainly don=E2=80=99t see the win (or wisdom) of doing something =
like that.

> I'm disappointed that you would resort to this level of ad-hominem
> attack.

If you think that was an ad-hominem attack, you clearly have never =
actually experienced one. :)  I made no comments whatsoever about your =
character, as an ad-hominem attack would require, but specifically said =
that your arguments went to such lengths to dismiss Mach IPC as a =
technology that it was like arguing with someone with such a strong bias =
for some other technology (my analogy being programming languages) that =
arguing was pointless, and I stand by that assertion since it so very =
clearly is that, pointless.

You are absolutely *determined* to rewrite things that already exist, =
and that=E2=80=99s not =E2=80=9Can ad-hominem attack=E2=80=9D but a =
simple observation of the facts, Mark!  I=E2=80=99ve been telling you =
that for some time, and your answers have always consistently added up =
to =E2=80=9Cbut I don=E2=80=99t like those technologies, so I=E2=80=99m =
going to do my own!=E2=80=9D and that=E2=80=99s FINE, it=E2=80=99s =
absolutely something you are totally free to do, but when you go further =
and try to paint your highly subjective preferences as somehow =
objectively =E2=80=9Cbetter=E2=80=9D, I get annoyed because unlike you, =
I can objectively point to a multi-year track record for the =
technologies I=E2=80=99m championing and also make the rather =
unassailable observation they already exist and have had their security =
attack surfaces vetted by literally a cast of thousands, if not =
millions.  Those are objective truths, not subjective opinion.

You=E2=80=99re not changing my mind and I=E2=80=99m obviously not =
changing yours, however, so I think there would be nothing =
=E2=80=9Cad-hominem=E2=80=9D about stating that this discussion in =
Hackers has probably ceased to be interesting or enlightening to anyone, =
though perhaps we=E2=80=99ve sold some popcorn.

- Jordan




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