Subject: [dane] base64 vs base64url

From: Stephen Farrell <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2012 01:18:07 +0100

(This is just a near-idle query and is definitely asked wearing
no hats, AD or other. In other words, just treat it as the random
query it is.)

So I'm doing a thing where I need text forms of hash outputs
to be URL-safe and the obvious thing to use there is a base64url
encoding of the hash value.

DANE uses base64 in the examples in A.2, I think for the form of
encoded data that's fed in via a zone file or equivalent. That's
a difference that might be annoying for me someday so I wondered:

a) Does the above paragraph correctly describe what DANE does?

b) Would it be right or possible or wrong or just totally stupid
to make Appendix A.2 of dane-protocol use base64url?

c) Even if the answer to (b) is yes, is it too late since there's
code out there and this would be considered by most as being a
gratuitous change?

d) Regardless of (a)-(c), does dane-protocol-18 appropriately
specify a format for zone files to use at the right level of
detail?

Thanks,
S.