On Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 12:01 PM, helpcrypto helpcrypto <helpcry...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 9:27 AM, fma spew <fmas...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> 1) WebCrypto does not initially plan support for making end-user >> certificates available. >> > W3C WG divided this on 2 specs: Webcrypto and Key Discovery. > Thanks for elaborating a little about those 2 specs. > As we are doing "the same thing" as you, we are also worried about our > future, and this is what we plan to do: > - Use URL schemes (myapp://sign=ABC...Z) to invoke a local application > The main problem is that you cannoit return the signature to browser, > so you need an intermediate service/server > - Use a local application running as a service (listening on > localhost:1234) to accept requests. > The main problem is that cannot be made on some systems like iOs or RT. > > > 2) Our use case, currently implemented as a NPAPI plug-in, needs Mozilla > to > >> continue supporting NPAPI until WebCrypto makes end-user certficates >> available. >> > We are working on the app to avoid doing 2 (or more) plugins > > Very nice comments. It clearly shows that we are on the same boat :) Almost 15 years ago (wow! I suddenly feel myself old), I developed a local Windows DDE server to make a Word macro communicate with a CAPI-using dll to be able to use a smart card (reader) to be able to sign and then paste the produced signature in the Word document. Then the world changed: the web browser became the "thin client" and Word attachments were replaced by electronic forms that you could create, fill in and send forward to new recipients (work flow) or for archiving. I was also involved in such a form flow system by that time. Then we got plugins and ActiveXs. And everything changed again. Bye bye DDE and local services/servers. And welcome back again year 2014! So, I've also thought about that possibility. Well, to be honest, for mobile devices, like those running iOS. However, for desktops and laptops, yes, old fashion devices, I felt like I still wanted to give plugins (including ActiveX, etc) an opportunity. And that's why I posted here. You have definitively a point with URL schemes and local applications because the world has changed again. The mobile devices might be dictating now the rules. So in order to try to achieve a solution as wider as possible (meaning covering the different platforms), it feels like we will need to abandon plugins, ActiveXs, etc and move to (local) applications and "glue" servers. Of course, you move from needing to master different plugin technologies (NPAPI-NPRuntime, ActiveX, applets) to need to develop platform-specific applications. But I strongly start to believe that it will be easier to maintain and that it will pay back. _______________________________________________ dev-platform mailing list dev-platform@lists.mozilla.org https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-platform
