Implementations

Implementation Comparisons

Comparisons between implementations of the WebID Protocol

WebID Service Providers and Platforms

	WebID Serialization Format			OpenID IdP	X.509 Certificate Creation			Supported WebID URI Schemes				Authentication Methods					Read-Write Web (RWW) Capabilities			ACL Controlled	Semantic Pingback
	RDF/XML	RDFa	N3		Keygen	IE	Standalone	http:	mailto:	ldap:	acct:	WebID Implementation	WebID Protocol	WebID Delegated	OpenID RP	Password	WebDAV	SPARQL	HTML Form
xwiki	N	Y	N	N	Y	N	N	Y	???	???	???
JavaScript API Demo	Y	Y	N	N	Y (<keygen> not required)	Y	N	Y	???	???	???	Apache PHP	Y
clerezza	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	???	???	???	Clerezza	Y			Y
id.myopenlink.net	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Virtuoso	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
foaf.me	Y	N	N	N	Y	N	N	Y	???	???	???	libAuthentication	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y
django-webid-provider	N	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	Y	???	???	???	Python-WebID	Y	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???
Drupal WebID module	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???
elgg / lorea	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???	???

WebID Authentication Implementation across Developer Libraries, Frameworks, and Services

	Language/System	RDF/XML	RDFa	N3	Multi-Certificate Keys	Multiple SAN	Webfinger	Fingerpoint	Delegated WebID	Literals
CGI::Auth::FOAF_SSL	Perl	Y	Y	note 1	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N
libAuthentication	PHP	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y	Y
Sommer foaf+ssl	Java	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	Y
Clerezza	Java & Scala	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	Y
OpenLink Data Spaces (ODS)	SQL Stored Procedures / C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
mod_authn_webid	Apache 2 module	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
foaf-ssl ruby	Ruby
django-webid-auth	Python	Y	Y	Y

Notes:

1. CGI::Auth::FOAF_SSL supports Turtle and N-Triples out of the box, and full Notation 3 if the optional RDF-TriN3 module is used.

Implementation Comparisons, redux

Implementations actually fall into several subcategories... The table above will be split as may be obvious.

WebID Generators/Providers

incorporate relevant content from FOAF+SSL IdP list...

WebID Consumers

incorporate relevant content from FOAF+SSL Clients and Relying Parties lists...

Tool Description in more detail

Clerezza

Clerezza uses KeygenApp & Clerezza mod

OpenLink Virtuoso

Virtuoso uses keygen HTML tags to instruct browser to make certificate and associated private key. Some Browsers (e.g., Chrome, Safari) implement this call via interactions with local key store. Others (e.g., Firefox and Opera) use it with their browser hosted key store. Runs on Native OS (Windows and MacOS X), Virtuoso authentication module, ODS authentication module & service.

OpenLink X.509 Certificate Generation Wizard

OpenLink X.509 Certificate Generation Wizard is an HTML based application for generating X.509 certificates and associated keys and persisting them to an Identity Provider space on a network e.g. Web. It also exists in Native form for Windows , with variants for iOS5, Mac OS X, and Android under development.

Sommer

So(m)mer libraries are currently on github: keygen & foaf-ssl

People working on implementations

Github search

• bblfish
• msporny
• kidehen (MyOpenLink Identity Provider Service, OpenLink Data Spaces and Virtuoso)
• Andrei Sambra
• hellekin (Ruby)
• scor (Drupal)
• jonasp (Erlang)
• bennomadic (Python-WebID, Django-WebID-provider, Django-WebID-Auth)
• thomasfr (Node.js)
• akbarhossain (webid4.me)
• presbrey (WebID authentication module for Apache 2)

TODO

• split implementation comparison table into several categories as outlined above
  • add maturity level (whether a given implementation is stable or under heavy development and subject to changes)
  • add test coverage for each implementation
• add links to implementation guidance, e.g., examples to demonstrate how a given WebID library might be integrated into an application or service