[cap-talk] Understanding capabilities in a web-desktop setting

[Ivan Krstić]

On Aug 5, 2008, at 4:54 AM, tsr wrote:
> Now to what I think is m question how do I implement this in a
> capabilities kind of way?

Let me turn this question back towards you: what problem do you have  
with a traditional ACL-based authorization model that you think (or  
hope, or wish) capabilities will solve for you in your system?

You appear to be saying "I've heard about capabilities, they sound  
interesting, I want to use them for my system. Now, what are they and  
how do I implement them?" Needless to say, this is a horrifically  
backwards way to approach any kind of engineering, software or  
otherwise, akin to saying "I've heard about Rolls Royce jumbo-jet  
engines, they sound interesting, I want to use them for my bicycle.  
Now, what are these jumbo-jet engines and how do I wire them to my  
bicycle?"

An enumeration of the problems you're trying to solve and the security  
properties you wish your system to have should be your first step. The  
next should be finding the simplest solution which delivers those  
properties. Capabilities may be that solution, though they most often  
aren't due to cumulative complexities of production systems.

--
Ivan Krstić <krstic at solarsail.hcs.harvard.edu> | http://radian.org