ithos

Modern directory services and credential management

ithos (pronounced ˈēTHäs like "ethos") is a modern directory server designed to be a master access control system for a fleet of Linux or other Unix-like servers. The design is inspired by LDAP, but using gRPC^† and JSON APIs in lieu of the LDAP wire protocol. As ithos is intended for highly secure applications, it's written in the Rust language to ensure safety.

The key differentiating feature of ithos over other directory servers is the use of a cryptographically authenticated append-only log, similar to a "blockchain", to mediate all changes to the directory. This means every change is fully auditable and can be attributed to one or more credentials for users or automated processes who authorized the change.

^†NOTE: gRPC support forthcoming

Yes.

ithos does not yet provide the minimum viable functionality it needs to be useful. The documentation below covers the current functionality, but it does not yet explain how to deploy a practical production system.

tl;dr: Not ready yet. Check back later.

These instructions assume you have a Rust installation. If you haven't yet installed Rust, please visit https://www.rustup.rs/ for instructions on how to install Rust.

1. Clone the ithos git repository:

   $ git clone https://github.com/cryptosphere/ithos.git
   Cloning into 'ithos'...
   

2. Compile ithos with Cargo:

   $ cargo build --release
   

3. Ensure binary works:

   $ target/release/ithos -h
   ithos v0.1
   
   USAGE:
       ithos [SUBCOMMAND]
   
   FLAGS:
       -h, --help       Prints help information
       -V, --version    Prints version information
   
   SUBCOMMANDS:
       db        Creates a new ithos database
       domain    Adds a new domain to an ithos database
       help      Prints this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
   

1. Create a filesystem directory where the database will live:

   $ mkdir my_ithos
   

2. Create a new ithos database inside the newly created directory:

   $ target/release/ithos db my_ithos
   Creating database at: my_ithos
   
   Database created! Below is the password for the admin user ('manager')
   Don't lose it! You will need it to perform administrative actions:
   
   ITHOS-GENPASS-xitak-refuk-lipef-zuxax-48214
   

3. Create an initial domain within your ithos database

   $ target/release/ithos domain example.com --path my_ithos
   Creating domain 'example.com' in database at my_ithos
   manager's password:
   Domain example.com created!
   

Copyright (c) 2016-2017 Tony Arcieri. Distributed under the Apache 2.0 License. See LICENSE file for further details.