Subject: Re: bug#76278: 29.4; ERC 5.5.0.29.1: ERC Manual does not mention usage of .pem client certificates

From: Eli Zaretskii <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:34:01 +0200

> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2025 14:43:32 +1100
> From: Archie Halliwell <[email-masked]>
> 
> The ERC Manual does not explain how to use .pem client certificates,
> only how to use the combination of a .crt certificate and .key private
> key. This is confusing as Libera.Chat's CertFP instructions only mention
> the use of a .pem file, instructing users on how to create an
> appropriate one.
> 
> The manual should really mention that a .pem file can be used as both
> files in the client-certificate list.

Does ERC use the .pem file directly, or does it use it indirectly,
though some GnuTLS interface?  If the latter, then the source might
not be from a .pem file, but instead from some equivalent OS service
(this happens on MS-Windows, for example).  So the manual should not
cause users of such systems go look for a .pem file that might not
even exist, or be irrelevant.

Apologies if the above makes no sense: I don't use ERC and know very
little about it.

Thanks.