Protocol A extension proposal: login tokens with limited scope #138

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opened 2026-10-19 02:53:25 +00:00 by littlefox · 1 comment

littlefox commented

2026-10-19 02:53:25 +00:00

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From #135 (2026-10-19), the user: "This is a massive limitation of Protocol A. I want to file this away for a rainy day when I can think about drafting some proposals for extentions of the protocol".

The limitation: Protocol A's only way to log in is person + password. Anything that should act for someone later (push notifications, #135; staying logged in, D-032; a relay holding a session) has to hold the password or keep a live session.

Notes for a future proposal, not a plan:

Limited tokens. The server issues a token for a session, revocable and expiring, and a later login can use it instead of the password.
Scopes. A token that can only watch ("new text" and "message" events, text-stat, subject) and can't write, mark read or change memberships. A push service would hold that.
Listing and revoking. The person can list and revoke their tokens, from any client.
Sessions in "who is on". A way for watch-only sessions not to show there, beyond today's invisible login.
Compatibility. Old servers must keep working: the client asks, and falls back to today's behaviour.

The vendored lyskomd (lyskom-server/) is where a reference implementation would go, if it gets that far. Changes there are deliberate and noted in DECISIONS.

Kept for later; not in any milestone.

From #135 (2026-10-19), the user: "This is a massive limitation of Protocol A. I want to file this away for a rainy day when I can think about drafting some proposals for extentions of the protocol". The limitation: Protocol A's only way to log in is person + password. Anything that should act for someone later (push notifications, #135; staying logged in, D-032; a relay holding a session) has to hold the password or keep a live session. Notes for a future proposal, not a plan: - **Limited tokens.** The server issues a token for a session, revocable and expiring, and a later login can use it instead of the password. - **Scopes.** A token that can only watch ("new text" and "message" events, text-stat, subject) and can't write, mark read or change memberships. A push service would hold that. - **Listing and revoking.** The person can list and revoke their tokens, from any client. - **Sessions in "who is on".** A way for watch-only sessions not to show there, beyond today's invisible login. - **Compatibility.** Old servers must keep working: the client asks, and falls back to today's behaviour. The vendored lyskomd (`lyskom-server/`) is where a reference implementation would go, if it gets that far. Changes there are deliberate and noted in DECISIONS. Kept for later; not in any milestone.

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2026-10-19 02:53:25 +00:00

littlefox referenced this issue from a commit

2026-10-19 02:53:42 +00:00

Record D-043: push on phones waits, aimed at the public deployment

littlefox referenced this issue

2026-10-19 02:53:47 +00:00

Notifications on phones while NeoKOM is in the background (Web Push) #135

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