Tutorial

Install Storage Server:

Appache and MySQL are required to set up your own storage server. After you install both of them, download the storage server software and install it. Follow the instructions and make sure it can connect to the MySQL database. The sotrage server is developed based on Python Django Framework. So the user should install the framework as well and make sure it works with apache server properly.
Install Name Server:

Confidant needs a lightweith cloud service to run the name server. Currently we only support Google App Engine because it is easy to use and it is a free service if the usage does not exceed the quote. The free quota is enough to work as a Confidant Name Server.

The user should register a Google App Engine service and install the App Engine SDK. Then download the Confidant Name Server code and upload it to the Google App Engine.
Install Firefox Extension:

It is easy and straightforward to install the client of Confidant. Just install the Firefox extension and retart your browser. We rely on Python Extension and PyXPCOM for fast cryptography implemetation. So the Python Extension is required to use Confidant client.
Join Facebook Application:

We develop a Facebook appliction to help Confidant users exchange keys with friends and assign certificates to the storage servers. Users need to join the Facebook Application to use Confidant.

Assign Certificate to Storage Servers:

Before you use Confidant, you need to assign certificate to your own storage server. When the storage server starts and subscribes to your Name Server, the Name Server can varify it through X.509 protocol. You can also ask your friends to provide replica service using their storage server. You can send requests to your friends through the Facebook Application. Once your friends approved your requests, their browser extension will ask their own storage servers to retrieve certifictes from you name server. All the certificates are encrypted by the public keys of your friends's storage servers so that they are well protected.
Key Exchange with Friends:

The user of Confidant can generate and sent our different group keys to its friends, trough the facebook application of Confidant, so that its friends can retrieve and decrypt the corresponding messages or photos created by the user.

Message Publish and View:

Just post new status or coments and view news feeds as normal. The Firefox extension will handle all the staffs on the backend.
Photo Publish and View:

Just post new photos and view photos as normal. The Firefox extension will handle all the staffs on the backend.