Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:00:53 -0400 From: Robert Lorentz <robert.lorentz@me.com> To: FreeBSD Hackers <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org> Subject: GSoC call for mentor Message-ID: <E253D1B0-1835-44B8-9F1B-DF017D84E392@me.com>
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Hi, I've been communicating with the FreeBSD GSoC admins list for a few months now, not realizing only 4 people are on there. I have spoken with Ben Laurie (affiliated with OpenSSL) and Robert Watson regarding my GSoC idea for software implementations of SHA-3 hash algorithms for the purpose of inclusion within FreeBSD or OpenSSL. The timeline for applications is now almost upon us, so I would like to finalize my plan as soon as possible to allow me time to create a good proposal in time to submit it. It seems clear that the implementation and performance analysis of the SHA-3 candidate algorithm(s) is the interesting part of what I discussed in that earlier correspondence. Whether the code is written for FreeBSD or OpenSSL's specific framework is not interesting and more a strategic/political decision than a technical one. After pondering the previous suggestions, I think that my project proposal should be roughly as follows: - C Implementations of all 5 SHA-3 hash algorithm candidates. These implementations will operate in a standalone manner, with a reasonable interface such that the NIST SHA-3 selected algorithm's implementation could be easily adapted to work within OpenSSL or FreeBSD. - Expect that alternate implementations will be explored to determine possible performance tradeoffs and optimal implementations. - Formalized analysis and discussion, formatted in a conference-quality paper My motivation for this work is that I am currently working on PhD research in the field of cryptographic engineering, recently completed my MS CpE research on hardware FPGA implementations of SHA-3 candidates, and my undergraduate degree and personal experience is in computer science (C, C++, UNIX) so this project is very interesting to me and I feel I have the skills and experience to obtain meaningful results. I desire a mentor at this point in time because I understand that it would give me a better chance of my project proposal being accepted and successfully executed. My hope is that one of you will agree to be my mentor, at which point I will create a detailed project proposal to submit to the GSoC. If I do not have a willing mentor I do not intend to submit a proposal. Ben and Robert seemed enthusiastic regarding my idea (Ben commented that the current AES implementation began in this way) but are too busy or lack the interest to become my mentor. I see that FreeBSD has been accepted as a program to GSoC 2012; OpenSSL is not listed. Therefore it is my assumption that my proposed project would be done under the FreeBSD program - even if eventually this code ends up in OpenSSL and flows downstream to FreeBSD. If this assumption does not satisfy you, can you please suggest a modification to my proposal that would make it become eligible for sponsorship under the FreeBSD GSoC program? If anyone is willing to take me on for this, please send me a response. I am very easy to work with :) Thanks, Robert Lorentz
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