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diff --git a/doc/cha-preface.texi b/doc/cha-preface.texi new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7c41f41 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/cha-preface.texi @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +@node Preface +@chapter Preface + +This document demonstrates and explains the @acronym{GnuTLS} +library API. A brief introduction to the protocols and the technology +involved is also included so that an application programmer can +better understand the @acronym{GnuTLS} purpose and actual offerings. +Even if @acronym{GnuTLS} is a typical library software, it operates +over several security and cryptographic protocols which require the +programmer to make careful and correct usage of them. Otherwise it +is likely to only obtain a false sense of security. +The term of security is very broad even if restricted to computer +software, and cannot be confined to a single cryptographic +library. For that reason, do not consider any program secure just +because it uses @acronym{GnuTLS}; there are several ways to compromise +a program or a communication line and @acronym{GnuTLS} only helps with +some of them. + +Although this document tries to be self contained, basic network +programming and public key infrastructure (PKI) knowledge is assumed +in most of it. A good introduction to networking can be found +in @xcite{STEVENS}, to public key infrastructure in @xcite{GUTPKI} +and to security engineering in @xcite{ANDERSON}. + +Updated versions of the @acronym{GnuTLS} software and this document +will be available from @url{https://www.gnutls.org/}. |