113064 - Smartcards add to launch time

Status: VERIFIED WORKSFORME

(Core Graveyard :: Security: UI, defect, P2)

Description

[Bob Lord]

I'm currently trying to use a smartcard on my Mozilla profile.  When the
smartcard is plugged in, it takes an extra 5+ seconds to launch the client.  

Using a smartcard should not add any noticeable time to launch.

Further, delaying the 5+ second penalty until the user first needs to access the
smartcard doesn't seem like a viable solution either since many users will
assume that something has gone wrong and will start to fiddle with the card.

Perhaps the trick is to somehow hide the smartcard initialization between launch
and first use of the card so the user is never aware that it's taking place.

Comment 1

[Stephane Saux]

With the new delayed PSM/NSS init, I haven't found it very noticeable as the
added time (which I should measure) is part of some action that itself is
expected to take some time.

I propose working with ActivCard to review how they architect their driver. I've
noticed in the debugger that ns-acpkcs.dll causes an extra 5 or 6 ActivCard dll
to be loaded as well. It's quite possible that:

1) The ActivCard driver pulls in functionality that is never used by Netscape (I
wouldn't be surprise that CAPI stuff is loaded) because they have created
something  that is one size fits all.  We can ask them for a strict pkcs11
driver that is as small as possible, and maybe link in that dll any other
libraries the pcks 11 functionality requires.

2) They do too much initialization (probably because of 1) when the library is
loaded.

3) NSS can be improved in the way the load the ActivCard driver. Maybe we just
register and wait till the driver is actually needed.

It would probably require a substantial rearchitecting of NSS to separate the
initialization of hardware device drivers from the initialization of NSS.

Comment 2

[John Unruh]

nsbeta1

Comment 3

[Stephane Saux]

cc ActivCard contact.

Comment 4

[John Unruh]

Marking works for me. Startup time is just as fast with or without an ActivCard
installed, and is not accessed during startup, (by watching the icon in the
system tray), whether or not I am signed into the card or not.

Comment 5

[John Unruh]

Verified.