The Bouncy Castle Crypto Package is a versatile Java implementation of cryptographic algorithms, crafted by the Legion of the Bouncy Castle. This guide will walk you through the setup, building, and testing phases while ensuring you are well-armed to troubleshoot any hiccups along the way.

Setting Up Your Environment

Before you dive into using the Bouncy Castle Crypto Package, there are some essential steps to prepare your environment. You must define specific environmental variables that point to the valid JAVA_HOMEs for each JVM version you plan to use.

export BC_JDK8=pathtojava8
export BC_JDK11=pathtojava11
export BC_JDK17=pathtojava17
export BC_JDK21=pathtojava21

Building the Project

Now that your environment is set up, it’s time to build the project! The Bouncy Castle project utilizes Gradle, and you can invoke it from the project’s root. Ensure that JAVA_HOME is pointing to JDK 17 or higher.

JAVA_HOME
./gradlew clean build

Multi-release Jars and Testing

The Bouncy Castle project supports multi-release jars. Default testing occurs on Java 1.8. However, you can perform tests on multiple Java versions:

• test11 – Test on Java 11 JVM
• test17 – Test on Java 17 JVM
• test21 – Test on Java 21 JVM

To run all tests, execute the following command:

./gradlew clean build test11 test17 test21

Code Organization

The codebase is neatly divided into various modules for easy management:

• core – Houses all lightweight APIs.
• prov – Provides JCA/JCE provider functionality.
• util – Contains utility code, including ASN.1 classes.
• pkix – For X.509 certificate generation and related standards.
• mail – Offers an SMIME API built on CMS.
• pg – Supports OpenPGP functionality.
• tls – General TLS API and JSSE Provider.

When working on custom builds, start with the appropriate distribution and be cautious of the exclusions and file copying required.

Examples and Tests

For practical exploration, check out the test programs located in the following packages:

• org.bouncycastle.crypto.test
• org.bouncycastle.jce.provider.test
• org.bouncycastle.cms.test
• org.bouncycastle.mail.smime.test
• org.bouncycastle.openpgp.test
• org.bouncycastle.tsp.test

Specific example programs for SMIME and OpenPGP can be found in:

• org.bouncycastle.mail.smime.examples
• org.bouncycastle.openpgp.examples

Troubleshooting Ideas

While using the Bouncy Castle Crypto Package, you may encounter a few issues. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Ensure that JAVA_HOME is correctly set to a valid JDK version.
• If you experience class not found exceptions, confirm that you are not including the jce directory in the source files if using later JDKs.
• For multi-release jar issues, ensure that you are running tests in the correct JVM version.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

Enjoy exploring the powerful capabilities of the Bouncy Castle Crypto Package!