From: Zooko O'Whielacronx Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:02:27 +0000 (-0700) Subject: docs: not-quite-final version of relnotes.txt for tahoe-1.3.0 X-Git-Tag: allmydata-tahoe-1.3.0~45 X-Git-Url: https://git.rkrishnan.org/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=3fa19973e4b7372d6c8fa784c2dc3938dd932e2f;p=tahoe-lafs%2Ftahoe-lafs.git docs: not-quite-final version of relnotes.txt for tahoe-1.3.0 --- diff --git a/relnotes.txt b/relnotes.txt index bc82315f..455fab66 100644 --- a/relnotes.txt +++ b/relnotes.txt @@ -1,88 +1,96 @@ -ANNOUNCING Allmydata.org "Tahoe", the Least-Authority Filesystem, v1.2 +still-not-actually-ANNOUNCING-yet Allmydata.org "Tahoe", the Least-Authority Filesystem, v1.3 -We are pleased to announce the release of version 1.2.0 of the "Tahoe" +We are pleased to announce the release of version 1.3.0 of "Tahoe", the Least Authority Filesystem. -The "Tahoe" Least Authority Filesystem is a secure, decentralized, -fault-tolerant filesystem. All of the source code is available under -a Free Software, Open Source licence (or two). +Tahoe-LAFS is a secure, decentralized, fault-tolerant filesystem. All +of the source code is available under a choice of two Free Software, +Open Source licences. This filesystem is encrypted and distributed over multiple peers in such a way it continues to function even when some of the peers are unavailable, malfunctioning, or malicious. -A one-page explanation of the security and fault-tolerance properties -that it offers is visible at: +Here is the one-page explanation of the security and fault-tolerance +properties that it offers: http://allmydata.org/source/tahoe/trunk/docs/about.html +This is the successor to v1.2, which was released July 21, 2008 [1]. +This is a major new release, adding a repairer, an efficient backup +command, support for large files, an (S)FTP server, and much more. -This is the successor to Allmydata.org "Tahoe" Least Authority -Filesystem v1.1, which was released June 11, 2008 [1]. This release -fixes a security issue in Tahoe v1.1, fixes a few small issues in the -web interface, adds a "check health" operation for mutable files, and -adds logging/operations/deployment improvements. +See the NEWS file [2] and the known_issues.txt file [3] for more +information. -See the known_issues.txt file [2] and the NEWS file [3] for details. +In addition to the many new features of Tahoe itself, a handful of +related projects have sprung up, including Tahoe frontends for Windows +and Macintosh, two front-ends written in JavaScript, a Tahoe plugin for +duplicity, a Tahoe plugin for TiddlyWiki, a project to create a new +backup tool, and three incomplete Tahoe frontends for FUSE. See Related +Projects on the wiki: [4]. COMPATIBILITY -The version 1 branch of Tahoe is used as the basis of the consumer -backup product from Allmydata, Inc. -- http://allmydata.com . +The version 1 branch of Tahoe is the basis of the consumer backup +product from Allmydata, Inc. -- http://allmydata.com . -Tahoe v1.2 is fully compatible with Tahoe v1.0. v1.2 clients produce -files which can be read by v1.0 clients. v1.2 clients can read files -produced by clients of all versions >= v0.8. v1.2 servers can serve -v1.0 clients and v1.2 clients can use v1.0 servers. +Tahoe v1.3 is fully compatible with Tahoe v1 branch. v1.3 clients +produce files which can be read by clients of all versions back to v1.0 +(unless the file is too large -- greater than 12 GiB with default +configuration). v1.3 clients can read files produced by clients of all +versions since v1.0. v1.3 servers can serve clients of all versions +back to v1.0 and v1.3 clients can use servers of all versions back to +v1.0 (but can't upload large files to them). -This is the third release in the version 1 series. We believe that +This is the fourth release in the version 1 series. We believe that this version of Tahoe is stable enough to rely on as a permanent store of valuable data. The version 1 branch of Tahoe will be actively -supported and maintained for the forseeable future, and future -versions of Tahoe will retain the ability to read files and -directories produced by Tahoe v1 for the forseeable future. +supported and maintained for the forseeable future, and future versions +of Tahoe will retain the ability to read files and directories produced +by Tahoe v1 for the forseeable future. WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? With Tahoe, you can distribute your filesystem across a set of computers, such that if some of the computers fail or turn out to be -malicious, the filesystem continues to work from the remaining -computers. You can also share your files with other users, using a -cryptographic capability-based access control scheme. - -Because this software is the product of less than two years of active -development, we do not categorically recommend it for the storage of -data which is extremely confidential or precious. However, we believe -that the combination of erasure coding, strong encryption, and careful -engineering make Tahoe safer than common alternatives, such as RAID, -or traditional backup onto a remote server, removable drive, or tape. - -This software comes with extensive unit tests [4], and there are no +malicious, the entire filesystem continues to be available, provided by +the remaining computers. You can also share your files with other +users, using a simple and flexible access control scheme. + +Because this software is the product of less than three years of active +development, we do not categorically recommend it as the sole +repository of data which is extremely confidential or precious. +However, we believe that erasure coding, strong encryption, Free/Open +Source Software and careful engineering make Tahoe safer than common +alternatives, such as RAID, removable drive, tape, or "on-line storage" +or "Cloud storage" systems. + +This software comes with extensive unit tests [5], and there are no known security flaws which would compromise confidentiality or data integrity. (For all currently known issues please see the known_issues.txt file [2].) -This release of Tahoe is suitable for the "friendnet" use case [5] -- +This release of Tahoe is suitable for the "friendnet" use case [6] -- it is easy to create a filesystem spread over the computers of you and -your friends so that you can share disk space and share files. +your friends so that you can share disk space and files. LICENCE You may use this package under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or, at your option, any later version. See the file "COPYING.GPL" -[6] for the terms of the GNU General Public License, version 2. +[7] for the terms of the GNU General Public License, version 2. You may use this package under the Transitive Grace Period Public -Licence, version 1.0. The Transitive Grace Period Public Licence says -that you may distribute proprietary derived works of Tahoe without -releasing the source code of that derived work for up to twelve -months, after which time you are obligated to release the source code -of the derived work under the Transitive Grace Period Public -Licence. See the file "COPYING.TGPPL.html" [7] for the terms of the -Transitive Grace Period Public Licence, version 1.0. +Licence, version 1.0. The Transitive Grace Period Public Licence has +requirements similar to the GPL except that it allows you to wait for +up to twelve months after you redistribute a derived work before +releasing the source code of your derived work. See the file +"COPYING.TGPPL.html" [8] for the terms of the Transitive Grace Period +Public Licence, version 1.0. (You may choose to use this package under the terms of either licence, at your option.) @@ -90,45 +98,54 @@ at your option.) INSTALLATION -Tahoe works on Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Cygwin, and Solaris. For -installation instructions please see "docs/install.html" [8]. +Tahoe works on Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, Cygwin, and Solaris, and +probably most other systems which have a Python interpreter and a C/C++ +compiler. Start with "docs/install.html" [9]. HACKING AND COMMUNITY -Please join us on the mailing list [9] to discuss uses of Tahoe. -Patches that extend and improve Tahoe are gratefully accepted -- the -RoadMap page [10] shows the next improvements that we plan to make and -CREDITS [11] lists the names of people who've contributed to the -project. The wiki Dev page [12] contains resources for hackers. +Please join us on the mailing list [10]. Patches that extend and +improve Tahoe are gratefully accepted -- the RoadMap page [11] shows +the next improvements that we plan to make and CREDITS [12] lists the +names of people who've contributed to the project. The wiki Dev page +[13] contains resources for hackers. SPONSORSHIP -Tahoe is sponsored by Allmydata, Inc. [13], a provider of commercial +Tahoe is sponsored by Allmydata, Inc. [14], a provider of commercial backup services. Allmydata, Inc. contributes hardware, software, ideas, bug reports, suggestions, demands, and money (employing several -allmydata.org Tahoe hackers and instructing them to spend part of -their work time on this free-software project). Also they distribute -customized t-shirts just for some of our favorite contributors. We -are eternally grateful! +allmydata.org Tahoe hackers and instructing them to spend part of their +work time on this Free Software project). Also they award customized +t-shirts to hackers who find security flaws in Tahoe (see +http://hacktahoe.org ). Thank you to Allmydata, Inc. for their +generous and public-spirited support. -Zooko O'Whielacronx +Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn on behalf of the allmydata.org team -July 21, 2008 + +with special acknowledgment of Brian Warner, whose superb engineering +skills and dedication are primarily responsible for the Tahoe +implementation, and largely responsible for the Tahoe design as well, +not to mention most of the docs and many other things besides + +February 11, 2009 (XXX HOPEFULLY) Boulder, Colorado, USA -[1] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/relnotes.txt?rev=2716 -[2] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/docs/known_issues.txt -[3] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/NEWS -[4] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/Dev -[5] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/UseCases -[6] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/COPYING.GPL -[7] http://allmydata.org/source/tahoe/trunk/COPYING.TGPPL.html -[8] http://allmydata.org/source/tahoe/trunk/docs/install.html -[9] http://allmydata.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tahoe-dev -[10] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/roadmap -[11] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/CREDITS?rev=2677 -[12] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/Dev -[13] http://allmydata.com +[1] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/relnotes.txt?rev=2789 +[2] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/NEWS +[3] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/docs/known_issues.txt +[4] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/RelatedProjects +[5] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/Dev +[6] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/UseCases +[7] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/COPYING.GPL +[8] http://allmydata.org/source/tahoe/trunk/COPYING.TGPPL.html +[9] http://allmydata.org/source/tahoe/trunk/docs/install.html +[10] http://allmydata.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tahoe-dev +[11] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/roadmap +[12] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/CREDITS?rev=2677 +[13] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/Dev +[14] http://allmydata.com