[Python-Dev] New hash algorithms: SHA3, SHAKE, BLAKE2, truncated SHA512 (original) (raw)

Chris Barker chris.barker at noaa.gov
Fri May 27 12:41:11 EDT 2016

On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 9:35 AM, M.-A. Lemburg <mal at egenix.com> wrote:

> So if ( and that's a big if) it's possible to anticipate what will be > in widespread use in a couple years, getting it in now would be a good > thing.

You cut away the important part of what I said: "The current patch is 1.2MB for SHA-3 - that's pretty heavy for just a few hash functions, ..." If people want to use the hashes earlier, this is already possible via a separate package, so we're not delaying their use.

That's true for ANY addition to the stdlib -- it could always be made available in a third party lib. (unless you want to use it in another part of the stdlib...)

It is clear that SHA-3 will get more traction in coming years (*), but I'm pretty sure that OpenSSL will have good implementations by the time people will actively start using the new hash algorithm and then hashlib will automatically make that available (hashlib uses the OpenSSL EVP abstraction, so will be able to use any new algorithms added to OpenSSL).

However, if we add the reference implementation now, we'd then be left with 1.2MB unnecessary code in the stdlib.

I'm probably showing my ignorance here, but couldn't we swap in the OpenSSL implementation when that becomes available?

-CHB

(*) People are just now starting to move from SHA-1 to SHA-2

and SHA-2 was standardized in 2001. Python received SHA-2 support in 2006. So there's plenty of time to decide :-)

can't deny the history, nor the inertia -- but that doesn't make it a good thing...

--

Christopher Barker, Ph.D. Oceanographer

Emergency Response Division NOAA/NOS/OR&R (206) 526-6959 voice 7600 Sand Point Way NE (206) 526-6329 fax Seattle, WA 98115 (206) 526-6317 main reception

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