Guide for OpenID+WebID? Proxy Service that Enables WebID? Exploitation via OpenID

What?

Virtuoso OpenID+WebID? Proxy Service.

Why?

All of our early WebID? demonstrations focused on exposing the critical value that WebID? brings to OpenID. Basically, that takes the form of eliminating username-and-password-based authentication on the more obvious front, while disambiguating hyperlink-based Names and Addresses on the less obvious front, with Linked Data in mind (i.e., via OpenID you ended up with a URI based global Identifier with the requisite fidelity for InterWeb? scale User Centric Identity)

In recent times, we've decoupled many of our WebID? implementation layers from both Virtuoso and ODS. The net effects of these actions are:

How?

What follows is a simple step-by guide showcasing the OpenID+WebID? proxy service:

  1. Get yourself a WebID.
  2. Visit a space on the InterWeb? that supports OpenID-based authentication.
  3. When challenged for your WebID? URL, simply provide a URL in the following form: 

    http://id.myopenlink.net/openid-proxy/id.vsp?w={Your-WebID}

Observations

You will notice that you are able to use OpenID without username-and-password-based authentication. You simply present your X.509 certificate, and that's it.

Why is this important?

WebID? is best understood and appreciated when experienced as a complementary enhancement of what exists.

Here is a sequence of screenshots that showcase OpenID+WebID? using the decoupled proxy service we now provide, distinct from the ODS instances used in our much earlier implementation demos:

Example

  1. Load http://openid-demo.appspot.com/ in your web browser.



  2. Enter your WebID?:



  3. When challenged for certificate authorization, select your X.509 certificate:



  4. You should be redirected to Virtuoso OpenID Authentication Service Endpoint, asking you how to proceed further. Click Accept:



  5. Finally, you should be successfully logged in:



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