DESCRIPTION
FriBID is a web browser plugin for BankID, a kind of electronic ID (e-legitimation) that's used in Sweden.
LIMITATIONS
FriBID supports both file-based electronic IDs (e-legitimation på fil) and card-based electronic IDs (e-legitimation på kort), with some limitations:
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- The new file formats (NGE/NGP) from the official client of version 4.15.0.14 aren't supported.
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- To change your password/PIN you need to use other programs (such as openssl with the pkcs12 sub-command).
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- To be able to use card-based IDs you need to do some configuration, see http://wiki.fribid.se/sidor/SmartCards (in Swedish).
The official software, BankID Säkerhetsprogram, does not have these limitations but is proprietary software and supports less platforms and browsers.
OBTAINING A BANKID
There are two types of electronic IDs that you can use from your computer: Cards and files. A card is more secure but has to be ordered by mail, while file-based e-IDs are obtained online through your bank's web site. Both are supported by FriBID, but to use a card BankID you must have a card reader that works with OpenSC. Furthermore, OpenSC might need to be configured for the card reader.
IMPORT AND EXPORT
FriBID uses the directories cbt and .cbt (a hidden directory) in your home directory to store file-based electronic IDs. To import and export your IDs, just copy them to or from any of these directories. If neither of the directories exist you can simply create a new directory with either of the names. Note that only the P12 file format is supported, the NGE and NGP formats used in the latest versions of the official software are unsupported.
CONFIGURATION
FriBID loads the configuration file ~/.config/fribid/config if it exists. Below is an example. The first option controls which PKCS#11 module to use for smartcard support (or for other cryptographic tokens). The default is to use OpenSC's PKCS#11 module. The second option sets the software version that FriBID should pretend to be. The default is 4.15.0.14, since FriBID doesn't support some features in the more recent versions yet.
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[pkcs11]
module=/path/to/pkcs11/module
[expiry]
version-to-emulate=4.19.0.11351
USING FRIBID
FriBID will start automatically when you visit a web page that uses BankID for the log in system or to sign information. You can check that FriBID works on this page:If the web site above would not work for some reason (e.g. in case the browser plugin is not working), there are also test scripts that can be run from the terminal in /usr/share/doc/fribid/examples/, /usr/local/share/doc/fribid/examples/ or an equivalent directory. If the scripts work but the web site does not, then there's very likely a problem with either the plugin or the browser.
NOTES
FriBID is not an official BankID client, and you use it entirely at your own risk!