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NOQTIS

Use from R

The noqtis R package bundles the C library: nothing else to install, and randomness comes from the operating system, never from R’s random number generator (set.seed() does not make keys repeat).

From r-universe, with binaries for Windows, macOS and Linux:

install.packages("noqtis", repos = c("https://rootcoder007.r-universe.dev",
                                     "https://cloud.r-project.org"))

install.packages("noqtis") from CRAN works once CRAN has reviewed the package.

Seal the folder behind an analysis

Section titled “Seal the folder behind an analysis”
library(noqtis)
d <- file.path(tempdir(), "results")
dir.create(file.path(d, "data"), recursive = TRUE)
writeLines(c("a,b", "1,2"), file.path(d, "data", "in.csv"))
writeLines("r", file.path(d, "report.txt"))


k <- nqkeygen("ML-DSA-65")
nqseal(d, k$sk, k$pk, "ML-DSA-65", meta = '{"project":"tutorial"}')
r <- nqcheck(d, k$pk)
attr(r, "ok")


cat("edited\n", file = file.path(d, "report.txt"), append = TRUE)
r <- nqcheck(d, k$pk)
attr(r, "ok")
r[!r$ok, ]


sig <- nqsign(k$sk, "the results in table 2", "ML-DSA-65", ctx = "app-v1")
nqverify(k$pk, "the results in table 2", sig, "ML-DSA-65", ctx = "app-v1")
nqverify(k$pk, "the results in table 2", sig, "ML-DSA-65")


kk <- nqkeygen("ML-KEM-768")
e <- nqencap(kk$pk, "ML-KEM-768")
identical(nqdecap(kk$sk, e$ct, "ML-KEM-768"), e$ss)
nqhash("abc", "sha3-256", hex = TRUE)

A key made with noqtis keygen loads with nqreadkey("me")$key, and nqwritekey() writes one the command line reads.

Run with Rscript prov.R (or source("prov.R", echo = TRUE)), the interesting lines print:

> attr(r, "ok")
[1] TRUE
> attr(r, "ok")
[1] FALSE
> r[!r$ok, ]
   check    ok                   detail
16  file FALSE report.txt: size differs
> nqverify(k$pk, "the results in table 2", sig, "ML-DSA-65", ctx = "app-v1")
[1] TRUE
> nqverify(k$pk, "the results in table 2", sig, "ML-DSA-65")
[1] FALSE
> identical(nqdecap(kk$sk, e$ct, "ML-KEM-768"), e$ss)
[1] TRUE
> nqhash("abc", "sha3-256", hex = TRUE)
[1] "3a985da74fe225b2045c172d6bd390bd855f086e3e9d525b46bfe24511431532"
  • nqseal(dir, sk, pk, alg, meta) writes noqtis.json and noqtis.sig into the folder; meta is one string of JSON text, signed with the manifest.
  • nqcheck(dir, pk) returns a data frame with one row per check (check, ok, detail); attr(r, "ok") is TRUE only when every check passed. Without pk it accepts the key in the seal, and a row says so.
  • Keys, signatures and ciphertexts are raw vectors in the standards’ encodings, so they can be saved with writeBin() and checked by any conforming implementation.

An identity card for your key

Section titled “An identity card for your key”

An identity card ties your signing key to your name and ORCID iD, signed by the key itself; publish it with the key, and noqtis check --card names you as the sealer of your capsules.

library(noqtis)
k <- nqkeygen("ML-DSA-65")
card <- nqidcard(k$sk, k$pk, "ML-DSA-65", "Ada Lovelace",
                 orcid = "https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-0097")
writeBin(card, file.path(tempdir(), "ada.card"))


v <- nqidcheck(file.path(tempdir(), "ada.card"), k$pk)
v$name
v$orcid
identical(v$key_sha256, nqhash(k$pk, "sha256", hex = TRUE))


bad <- charToRaw(sub("Ada", "Eve", rawToChar(card)))
is.null(nqidcheck(bad))
inherits(try(nqidcard(k$sk, k$pk, "ML-DSA-65", "Ada Lovelace",
                      orcid = "0000-0002-1825-0098"), silent = TRUE),
         "try-error")
> v$name
[1] "Ada Lovelace"
> v$orcid
[1] "0000-0002-1825-0097"
> identical(v$key_sha256, nqhash(k$pk, "sha256", hex = TRUE))
[1] TRUE
> is.null(nqidcheck(bad))
[1] TRUE
[1] TRUE

The card holds the bare ORCID iD, whose check digit must be right. A changed card does not verify (NULL), and an iD with a wrong check digit is refused. The card is self-signed, so give v$key_sha256 where people already know you, or let them pin your public key.

In a reproducible workflow

Section titled “In a reproducible workflow”

Seal the output folder as the last step of the analysis script, and publish the public key with the paper or the data release. A reader checks the folder they downloaded with nqcheck(dir, pk), or with the noqtis check -p key.pub dir command, which reads the same capsule.

The package’s vignette (vignette("noqtis")) and help pages (?nqseal, ?nqsign) cover every function.