CeBIT Open Source Project Lounge -- CAcert
CAcert -- community based certificate authority
ByCAcert is among the 15 projects that will present their work at CeBIT, offering community based security certificates.
In a nutshell - describe your project in a few words:
CAcert is a community based certificate authority with the objective of providing a free, open and transparent public key (PK) infrastructure for all its community members. It seeks to provide an enhanced experience in the virtual world by connecting the virtual identities of the Internet with real world entities.
When did the project begin?
In 2002 with CAcert.org and in 2003 with CAcert, Inc.
How many active members does the project have?
3,257 active assurers (those passing our Assurance Challenge) and 19,067 participants, as of January 18, 2010.
How did the project come about?
Duane Groth wanted to secure the WLAN network of his hometown, which was too expensive, so started the community.
What would make a CeBIT visitor interested in your booth?
Three reasons:
1. Anyone can become a community member to use free certificates as long as they get assurance of identity as part of our Organization Assurance program.
2. Small companies, organizations and schools with smaller budgets can get information about how they can add value for their customers or members with the help of client certificate logins to their Internet portals.
3. Linux distributions and software developers can learn how to extend their software with features so that Internet portal or application users are assured secure access.
Who do you make your software for?
Community members have the choice to create client certificates, e-mail certificates (signing and encryption) or server certificates (SSL and TLS) and sign documents or code. They can also sign PGP/PGP keys (engage in keysigning parties).
Where do you see your biggest current challenge?
Browser integration of root certificates into the operating systems require audits handled by the community. These audits are time consuming.
If you were to hire a full-time project developer now, what problem should he or she be ready to solve?
The requirement for audits spawned a new software development project called "Birdshack" during the spring of 2009. We need developers to implement this project.
Under which license is the software currently offered?
GNU General Public License v2, June 1991.
Internet adress: http://www.cacert.org
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
![Learn More](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/media/linux-magazine-eng-us/images/misc/learn-more/834592-1-eng-US/Learn-More_medium.png)
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.