3.2 KiB
Structuring the System Layer with Dataspaces
In this project, Dataspace theory will be co-developed with new system layer software in the setting of the user interface to and management of a cellular telephone.
The expected project outcomes are:
- A capability-based security model for Dataspaces
- A proof-of-concept dataspace-based system layer for a mobile phone
- A qualitative evaluation of the suitability of the Dataspace model as structuring principle for system layers
The following artifacts are expected to realise the outcomes of the project:
- Documents describing the theory of capabilities as applied to Dataspaces
- Dataspace implementations reflecting this theory
- Documents analysing the elements of a selection of existing system layers
- Protocols capturing a synthesis of system layer behaviours, based on the analysis
- A system layer implementation making use of Dataspaces
- Associated demos and case studies
- A website gathering together all project material
- Software releases and developer-focused documentation
Subtasks
-
✓✓ Project infrastructure setup
- Project website up under the umbrella of https://syndicate-lang.org/
- Project blog created
- Software Bill of Materials
-
Capability theory
- Description of Dataspace interaction model augmented with “data-capabilities” authorizing interaction within a dataspace
-
✓✓ Rust Dataspace infrastructure
- Dataspace implementation for dataspace-based Rust programming
- Implementation of Dataspace protocol in Rust
-
Smalltalk Dataspace infrastructure
- Dataspace implementation for dataspace-based Squeak Smalltalk programming
- Implementation of Dataspace protocol in Smalltalk
-
✓✓ Demo of capability-secure Dataspace interaction
-
PostmarketOS (pmOS) infrastructure
- pmOS booting on cellphone to modified environment
- Scripts for packaging of on-phone artifacts
-
Demo exercising phone infrastructure
-
Dataspace Protocol specification
- Draft specification of interaction protocols for secure inter-process and inter-machine dataspace interaction
-
✓✓ Dataspace “message bus”
- Standalone on-phone generic Dataspace “message bus” service for coordinating system-layer activity
- Implements Dataspace Protocol
-
Analysis of existing system-layers - Survey of a selection of system-layer components - Classification and categorisation of functionality
-
Synthesis of system-layer functionality - Development and description of Dataspace interaction protocols capturing system-layer features
-
Prototyping of Dataspace system layer - Development and description of mobile-phone-specific Dataspace interaction protocols - Development of generic system-layer components - Development of mobile-phone-specific components
-
Demo exercising realised system layer
-
Security & accessibility review - Security review of items 8, 9 and 12 would be most worthwhile. - Accessibility review of web content is likely to be trivial; review of the UI content of items 13 and 7 may be worthwhile (though user interface is not a focus of the project).