[keycloak-dev] [keycloak-user] Keycloak Proxy Rename

[Alex Szczuczko]

In thinking a new name, I tried to look hard at these things:

    1. what this software actually does.

    2. what makes this software desirable to a user.

    3. what "adapter" has meant for keycloak in the past.

I'm not the best person to answer these questions, but here's what I've
dug up:

    1. Accepts HTTP requests and talks with Keycloak via OIDC to see if
    the client it serves should treat the requests as authenticated
    and/or authorized.

    2. It avoids the need to install a bit of Keycloak software into the
    users' applications.

    3. According to the docs[1]: Keycloak client adapters are libraries
    that makes it very easy to secure applications and services with
    Keycloak ... our adapters easy to use and they require less
    boilerplate code than what is typically required by a library.

#1 is what we've been focusing on with names like "proxy". The reasons
such names are dissatisfying is there is nothing unique about sitting in
between two endpoints and doing stuff. So, we need to look at what that
"stuff" means for Keycloak.

#3 in combination with #2 tells us what this "stuff" means for Keycloak.
This new software is clearly not an adapter. Actually, this new software
accomplishes the mission of an adapter better than adapters themselves!

Following that logic, Superadapter is my main proposal for a new name.
Maybe throw in OIDC (oidc-superadapter) if there's ever going to be a
saml-superadapter.

Alternatively, we could focus on the lack of an adapter, with names
based on terms like Adapterless:

    - AKI: Adapterless Keycloak Integrator
    - KOSA: Keycloak OIDC Sans-Adapter
    - AKOS: Adapterless Keycloak OIDC Server
    - KOAF: Keycloak OIDC Adapter-Free
    - etc...

Alex

[1] https://www.keycloak.org/docs/latest/securing_apps/index.html#what-are-client-adapters

Quoting Bruno Oliveira (2018-08-20 09:54:42)
> Only to give a brief context for people not aware of it. Keycloak
> Generic Adapter was not well accepted, because the naming is too
> vague. So we have to reopen this discussion and think about a better
> naming.
> 
> During our team call today I suggested just "keycloak-adapter", which
> would cover the apps which don't have its own specific adapter
> solution.
> 
> That said, maybe we should open a new poll? I just created a new one
> where people can vote/suggest:
> 
> https://poll.ly/#/Lbww4ebG