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doc: Document X.509 certificates.
* doc/guix.texi (Using the Configuration System): Add xref to "X.509 Certificates". (X.509 Certificates): New section. * gnu/system/examples/desktop.tmpl: Use NSS-CERTS.
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@ -3998,6 +3998,7 @@ instance to support new system services.
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* Locales:: Language and cultural convention settings.
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* Services:: Specifying system services.
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* Setuid Programs:: Programs running with root privileges.
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* X.509 Certificates:: Authenticating HTTPS servers.
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* Name Service Switch:: Configuring libc's name service switch.
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* Initial RAM Disk:: Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
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* GRUB Configuration:: Configuring the boot loader.
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@ -4058,7 +4059,8 @@ more, would look like this:
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@end lisp
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@xref{Desktop Services}, for the exact list of services provided by
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@var{%desktop-services}.
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@var{%desktop-services}. @xref{X.509 Certificates}, for background
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information about the @code{nss-certs} package that is used here.
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Assuming the above snippet is stored in the @file{my-system-config.scm}
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file, the @command{guix system reconfigure my-system-config.scm} command
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@ -5172,6 +5174,48 @@ Under the hood, the actual setuid programs are created in the
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files in this directory refer to the ``real'' binaries, which are in the
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store.
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@node X.509 Certificates
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@subsection X.509 Certificates
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@cindex HTTPS, certificates
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@cindex X.509 certificates
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@cindex TLS
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Web servers available over HTTPS (that is, HTTP over the transport-layer
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security mechanism, TLS) send client programs an @dfn{X.509 certificate}
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that the client can then use to @emph{authenticate} the server. To do
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that, clients verify that the server's certificate is signed by a
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so-called @dfn{certificate authority} (CA). But to verify the CA's
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signature, clients must have first acquired the CA's certificate.
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Web browsers such as GNU@tie{}IceCat include their own set of CA
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certificates, such that they are able to verify CA signatures
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out-of-the-box.
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However, most other programs that can talk HTTPS---@command{wget},
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@command{git}, @command{w3m}, etc.---need to be told where CA
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certificates can be found.
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@cindex @code{nss-certs}
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In GuixSD, this is done by adding a package that provides certificates
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to the @code{packages} field of the @code{operating-system} declaration
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(@pxref{operating-system Reference}). GuixSD includes one such package,
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@code{nss-certs}, which is a set of CA certificates provided as part of
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Mozilla's Network Security Services.
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Note that it is @emph{not} part of @var{%base-packages}, so you need to
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explicitly add it. The @file{/etc/ssl/certs} directory, which is where
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most applications and libraries look for certificates by default, points
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to the certificates installed globally.
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Unprivileged users can also install their own certificate package in
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their profile. A number of environment variables need to be defined so
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that applications and libraries know where to find them. Namely, the
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OpenSSL library honors the @code{SSL_CERT_DIR} and @code{SSL_CERT_FILE}
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variables. Some applications add their own environment variables; for
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instance, the Git version control system honors the certificate bundle
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pointed to by the @code{GIT_SSL_CAINFO} environment variable.
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@node Name Service Switch
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@subsection Name Service Switch
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@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
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(use-modules (gnu) (gnu system nss))
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(use-service-modules desktop)
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(use-package-modules xfce ratpoison wicd avahi xorg)
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(use-package-modules xfce ratpoison wicd avahi xorg certs)
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(operating-system
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(host-name "antelope")
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@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
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;; sessions using either of these at the log-in screen.
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(packages (cons* xfce ratpoison ;desktop environments
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xterm wicd avahi ;useful tools
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nss-certs ;for HTTPS access
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%base-packages))
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;; Use the "desktop" services, which include the X11
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