From: Zooko O'Whielacronx Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:21:42 +0000 (-0700) Subject: update the relnotes.txt for v0.3 X-Git-Tag: allmydata-tahoe-0.3.0~1 X-Git-Url: https://git.rkrishnan.org/components/com_hotproperty/flags/index.php?a=commitdiff_plain;h=ef5f50716ea5f991a65a8414cda56b05aa0cc1d0;p=tahoe-lafs%2Ftahoe-lafs.git update the relnotes.txt for v0.3 --- diff --git a/relnotes.txt b/relnotes.txt index 8a5abee3..48ae1b50 100644 --- a/relnotes.txt +++ b/relnotes.txt @@ -1,15 +1,61 @@ -Allmydata, Inc. [1], provider of the "Allmydata" consumer backup product, is -pleased to announce the first public release of "Tahoe", a secure, -distributed storage grid with a free-software licence. +NEW VERSION RELEASED + +We are pleased to announce the release of version 0.3.0 of Allmydata-Tahoe, a +secure, decentralized storage grid under a free-software licence. This is +the follow-up to v0.2 which was released May 2, 2007 (see [1]). + +Since then we've made several improvements, including: + + * fix IP address configuration so that you can run a node behind a firewall + or NAT box (ticket #22) + + * better packaging, build process, command-line, documentation (tickets #8, + #21, #23, #35, #46, #51) + + * handle the loss of peers during the upload process by uploading to the + remaining peers (ticket #17) + + * display size of files (ticket #37) (thanks to Faried Nawaz) + + * private storage -- upload a file without publishing its decryption key + (ticket #33) (thanks to Faried Nawaz) + + * add Merkle-Tree authentication on ciphertext and on plaintext (ticket #64) + + * enable SSL encryption on the connection between web browser and node + (ticket #55) + + * improved unit tests including memory-usage tests + + * faster unit tests (ticket #20) + + * upgrade to a newer version of Foolscap, the remote object protocol + + +For complete details (there are other improvements that are not in the above +list), see this web page which shows all ticket changes, repository checkins, +and wiki changes from May 3 to today: [2]. + +Allmydata-Tahoe v0.3 is incompatible with v0.2 due to the upgrade of Foolscap +and due to the new Merkle-Tree authentication. + + +WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? The source code that we are releasing is the current working prototype for -Allmydata's next-generation product. This release is targeted at hackers who -are willing to use a minimal, text-oriented web user interface. +Allmydata's next-generation product. This release is targeted at hackers and +users who are willing to use a minimal, text-oriented web user interface. -This prototype is not recommended for storage of confidential data nor for -data which is not otherwise backed up, but it already implements a functional -distributed storage grid and is useful for experimentation, prototyping, and -extension. +This software is not yet recommended for storage of highly confidential data +nor for important data which is not otherwise backed up, but it is useful for +experimentation, prototyping, and extension. + +This release of Allmydata-Tahoe marks the first version which is be suitable +for Use Case #2: "groups of friends who want to share backup and +file-sharing" (see the wiki page "UseCases": [3]). It is easy to set up a +private grid which is securely shared among a specific, limited set of +friends. Files uploaded to this shared grid will be available to all +friends, even when some of the computers are unavailable. LICENCE @@ -22,11 +68,11 @@ this obligation for up to 12 months. INSTALLATION -This release of Tahoe works and passes all unit tests on Linux/x86, -Linux/amd64, Mac/Intel, Mac/PPC, Windows-native, and Cygwin. +This release of Tahoe works on Linux/x86, Linux/amd64, Mac/Intel, Mac/PPC, +Windows-native, and Cygwin. -To install, download the tarball [2], untar it, go into the resulting -directory, and follow the directions in the README [3]. +To install, download the tarball [4], untar it, go into the resulting +directory, and follow the directions in the README [5]. USAGE @@ -47,18 +93,18 @@ there, with download links, and forms to upload new files. Other ways to access the filesystem are planned, as well as other structures than the single globally-shared namespace implemented by this release: please -see the roadmap.txt [5] for some rough details. +see the roadmap.txt [6] for some rough details. HACKING AND COMMUNITY -Please join the mailing list [4] to discuss the ideas behind Tahoe and +Please join the mailing list [7] to discuss the ideas behind Tahoe and extensions of and uses of Tahoe. Patches that extend and improve Tahoe are gratefully accepted -- roadmap.txt shows the next improvements that we plan to make. You can browse the revision control history, source code, and issue -tracking at the Trac instance [6]. Please see the buildbot [7], which shows +tracking at the Trac instance [8]. Please see the buildbot [9], which shows how Tahoe builds and passes unit tests on each checkin, and the code coverage -results [8] and percentage-covered graph [9], which show how much of the +results [10] and percentage-covered graph [11], which show how much of the Tahoe source code is currently exercised by the test suite. @@ -79,8 +125,8 @@ peers, the file is reconstructed from the shares, and then decrypted. A single distinct server called a "vdrive server" maintains a global mapping from pathnames/filenames to URIs. -We are well aware of the limitations of decentralization and scalability -inherent in this prototype. In particular, the completely-connected property +We are acutely aware of the limitations of decentralization and scalability +inherent in this version. In particular, the completely-connected property of the grid and the requirement of a single distinct introducer and vdrive server limits the possible size of the grid. We have plans to loosen these limitations (see roadmap.txt). Currently it should be noted that the grid @@ -94,30 +140,46 @@ public test grid. SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE Tahoe is a "from the ground-up" rewrite, inspired by Allmydata's existing -consumer backup service. It is primarily written in Python. +consumer backup service. It is primarily written in the Python programming +language. -Tahoe is based on the Foolscap library [10] which provides a remote object -protocol inspired by the capability-secure "E" programming language [11]. +Tahoe is based on the Foolscap library [12] which provides a remote object +protocol inspired by the capability-secure "E" programming language [13]. Foolscap allows us to express the intended behavior of the distributed grid directly in object-oriented terms while relying on a well-engineered, secure transport layer. -The underlying networking is provided by the Twisted library [12]. -Computationally intensive operations are performed in native compiled code, -such as the "zfec" library for fast erasure coding (also available -separately: [13]). - - -[1] http://allmydata.com -[2] http://allmydata.org/source/tahoe/tahoe-0.2.0-0-UNSTABLE.tar.gz -[3] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/README -[4] http://allmydata.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tahoe-dev -[5] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/roadmap.txt -[6] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe -[7] http://allmydata.org/buildbot -[8] http://allmydata.org/tahoe-figleaf/figleaf/ -[9] http://allmydata.org/tahoe-figleaf-graph/hanford.allmydata.com-tahoe_figleaf.html -[10] http://twistedmatrix.com/trac/wiki/FoolsCap -[11] http://erights.org/ -[12] http://twistedmatrix.com/ -[13] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/src/zfec +The network layer is provided by the Twisted library [14]. Computationally +intensive operations are performed in native compiled code, such as the +"zfec" library for fast erasure coding (also available separately: [15]). + +Tahoe is sponsored by Allmydata, Inc. [16], a provider of consumer backup +services. Allmydata, Inc. contributes hardware, software, ideas, bug +reports, suggestions, demands, and money (employing several Allmydata-Tahoe +hackers and allowing them to spend part of their work time on the +next-generation, free-software project). We are eternally grateful! + + +Zooko O'Whielacronx +on behalf of the Allmydata-Tahoe team +June 11, 2007 +San Francisco + + +[1] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/relnotes.txt?rev=686 +[2] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/timeline?from=06%2F11%2F2007&daysback=39&changeset=on&milestone=on&ticket=on&wiki=on&update=Update +[3] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/wiki/UseCases +[4] http://allmydata.org/source/tahoe/tahoe-0.3.tar.gz +[5] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/README?rev=748 +[6] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/roadmap.txt +[7] http://allmydata.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tahoe-dev +[8] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe +[9] http://allmydata.org/buildbot +[10] http://allmydata.org/tahoe-figleaf/figleaf/ +[11] http://allmydata.org/tahoe-figleaf-graph/hanford.allmydata.com-tahoe_figleaf.html +[12] http://twistedmatrix.com/trac/wiki/FoolsCap +[13] http://erights.org/ +[14] http://twistedmatrix.com/ +[15] http://allmydata.org/trac/tahoe/browser/src/zfec +[16] http://allmydata.com +