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Getting Started Intermediate 8 min read

Configuration Guide

Customize Forge EC for your specific use case. Learn about feature flags, performance optimization, and environment-specific configurations.

Configuration Overview

Forge EC provides extensive configuration options to optimize the library for your specific use case. Whether you're building for embedded systems, web applications, or high-performance servers, proper configuration ensures optimal performance and security.

Configuration Principles:
  • Enable only the features you need to minimize attack surface
  • Choose appropriate curves for your security requirements
  • Configure memory management for your environment
  • Optimize for either performance or memory usage

Feature Flags

Forge EC uses Cargo feature flags to enable optional functionality. This allows you to include only the components you need, reducing binary size and compilation time.

Core Features

Cargo.toml - Core Features 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = { version = "0.1.0", default-features = false, features = ["std"] }

# Core features:
# - "std": Standard library support (recommended)
# - "alloc": Allocation support for no_std environments  
# - "zeroize": Secure memory clearing

Cryptographic Features

Cargo.toml - Cryptographic Features 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = {
    version = "0.1.0",
    features = [
        "ecdsa",      # ECDSA signatures
        "eddsa",      # EdDSA signatures (Ed25519)
        "schnorr",    # Schnorr signatures
        "ecdh",       # Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman
        "hash2curve", # Hash-to-curve (RFC 9380)
    ]
}

Serialization and Platform Features

Cargo.toml - Platform Features 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = {
    version = "0.1.0",
    features = [
        "serde",      # Serialization support
        "wasm",       # WebAssembly compatibility
        "parallel",   # Parallel computation support
        "rand",       # Random number generation
    ]
}

Environment Configuration

Different deployment environments require different configurations. Here are optimized configurations for common scenarios.

Embedded Systems (no_std)

Cargo.toml - Embedded Configuration 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = {
    version = "0.1.0",
    default-features = false,
    features = [
        "alloc",      # Heap allocation support
        "zeroize",    # Secure memory clearing
        "ecdsa",      # Minimal signature support
    ]
}

# Optional: Custom allocator for embedded
[dependencies.linked_list_allocator]
version = "0.10"
optional = true

Web Applications (WASM)

Cargo.toml - WASM Configuration 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = {
    version = "0.1.0",
    features = [
        "wasm",       # WebAssembly support
        "serde",      # JSON serialization
        "ecdsa",      # Web-compatible signatures
        "eddsa",      # Ed25519 for modern web
        "rand",       # Browser-compatible RNG
    ]
}

[dependencies.wasm-bindgen]
version = "0.2"

[dependencies.js-sys]
version = "0.3"

High-Performance Servers

Cargo.toml - Server Configuration 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = {
    version = "0.1.0",
    features = [
        "std",        # Full standard library
        "parallel",   # Multi-threading support
        "ecdsa",      # ECDSA signatures
        "eddsa",      # EdDSA signatures
        "schnorr",    # Schnorr signatures
        "ecdh",       # Key exchange
        "hash2curve", # Advanced hashing
        "serde",      # Serialization
        "zeroize",    # Security
    ]
}

[dependencies.rayon]
version = "1.7"  # For parallel processing

Performance Optimization

Optimize Forge EC performance based on your specific requirements and constraints.

Compiler Optimizations

Cargo.toml - Release Profile 
[profile.release]
opt-level = 3          # Maximum optimization
lto = true             # Link-time optimization
codegen-units = 1      # Single codegen unit for better optimization
panic = "abort"        # Smaller binary size
strip = true           # Remove debug symbols

[profile.release-with-debug]
inherits = "release"
debug = true           # Keep debug info for profiling

Runtime Configuration

main.rs - Performance Configuration 
use forge_ec::{Config, CurveType, OptimizationLevel};

fn main() -> Result<(), Box> {
    // Configure for maximum performance
    let config = Config::builder()
        .curve(CurveType::Secp256k1)
        .optimization_level(OptimizationLevel::Speed)
        .enable_parallel_processing(true)
        .precompute_tables(true)
        .build()?;

    // Initialize with configuration
    forge_ec::init_with_config(config)?;

    // Your cryptographic operations here...
    Ok(())
}

Security Configuration

Configure Forge EC for maximum security in production environments.

Memory Security

main.rs - Secure Memory Configuration 
use forge_ec::{Config, SecurityLevel, MemoryProtection};

fn main() -> Result<(), Box> {
    // Configure for maximum security
    let config = Config::builder()
        .security_level(SecurityLevel::Maximum)
        .memory_protection(MemoryProtection::Enabled)
        .constant_time_operations(true)
        .secure_random_source(true)
        .build()?;

    // Initialize with security configuration
    forge_ec::init_with_config(config)?;

    // Enable memory protection
    forge_ec::enable_memory_protection()?;

    Ok(())
}
Security Considerations:
  • Always enable constant-time operations in production
  • Use secure memory clearing (zeroize feature)
  • Validate all inputs before cryptographic operations
  • Use hardware random number generators when available

Configuration Examples

Complete configuration examples for common use cases.

Blockchain Application

Cargo.toml - Blockchain Configuration 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = {
    version = "0.1.0",
    features = [
        "std",
        "ecdsa",      # Bitcoin/Ethereum signatures
        "schnorr",    # Bitcoin Taproot
        "hash2curve", # BLS signatures
        "serde",      # Transaction serialization
        "parallel",   # Block validation
        "zeroize",    # Key security
    ]
}

[profile.release]
opt-level = 3
lto = true
codegen-units = 1

IoT Device

Cargo.toml - IoT Configuration 
[dependencies]
forge-ec = {
    version = "0.1.0",
    default-features = false,
    features = [
        "alloc",      # Minimal heap usage
        "ecdsa",      # Lightweight signatures
        "zeroize",    # Security
    ]
}

[profile.release]
opt-level = "s"   # Optimize for size
lto = true
panic = "abort"
strip = true

Troubleshooting

Common configuration issues and their solutions.

Compilation Issues

Feature Conflicts:

If you encounter feature conflicts, ensure you're not enabling incompatible features:

  • std and no_std are mutually exclusive
  • wasm requires specific target configuration
  • parallel requires std feature

Performance Issues

Optimization Tips:
  • Enable LTO for release builds
  • Use opt-level = 3 for maximum performance
  • Consider codegen-units = 1 for better optimization
  • Profile your application to identify bottlenecks

Memory Issues

Memory Management:
  • Use alloc feature for no_std environments
  • Enable zeroize for secure memory clearing
  • Consider custom allocators for embedded systems
  • Monitor memory usage in constrained environments