René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"feature: support both WebID-TLS and Solid-OIDC authentication simultaneously","articleBody":"## Summary\n\nCurrently NSS only supports one authentication method at a time (`--auth tls` OR `--auth oidc`). It would be valuable to support both simultaneously.\n\n## Current Behavior\n\n```javascript\n// lib/create-app.mjs:335-339\nconst auth = argv.forceUser ? 'forceUser' : argv.auth\nif (!(auth in API.authn)) {\n  throw new Error(`Unsupported authentication scheme: ${auth}`)\n}\nawait API.authn[auth].initialize(app, argv)  // Only ONE method initialized\n```\n\n## Proposed Behavior\n\nInitialize both auth handlers and let them chain naturally:\n\n```javascript\nasync function initAuthentication(app, argv) {\n  // Initialize both handlers\n  await API.authn.oidc.initialize(app, argv)\n  await API.authn.tls.initialize(app, argv)\n}\n```\n\nThe handlers already call `next()` when they don't find their credentials, so they'd naturally fall through to the next method.\n\n## Benefits\n\n1. **Flexibility** - Different clients can use different auth methods against the same server\n2. **Migration path** - Users can transition gradually between auth methods\n3. **Spec compliance** - Solid doesn't mandate one auth method over another\n4. **Client compatibility** - Legacy TLS clients and modern OIDC clients work together\n\n## Implementation\n\nThe change is minimal:\n- Remove the either/or logic in `initAuthentication()`\n- Initialize both handlers (or make it configurable: `--auth oidc,tls`)\n- Auth chain: OIDC → TLS → anonymous\n\n## Prior Art\n\nJavaScriptSolidServer (JSS) already supports this - it tries auth methods in sequence:\n1. Solid-OIDC (DPoP tokens)\n2. WebID-TLS (client certificates)  \n3. Bearer tokens\n\nWorks well and provides maximum flexibility.","author":{"url":"https://github.com/melvincarvalho","@type":"Person","name":"melvincarvalho"},"datePublished":"2026-01-08T23:18:38.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":0},"url":"https://github.com/1844/node-solid-server/issues/1844"}