Monthly Archives: April 2024

OAuth 1.0a and HTTP Basic Auth shutdown on OpenStreetMap.org

In 2024, the OSMF Operations Working Group (OWG) is retiring OAuth 1.0a and HTTP Basic Auth on OpenStreetMap.org. These are technical ways for applications to authenticate users with the OSM website or API. OAuth 1.0a and HTTP Basic Auth have been deprecated since 2023, as OAuth 2.0 is now the standard authorization method for most systems.

There are three key dates in the transition process:

  • March 1st, 2024: New OAuth 1.0a application registrations were disabled. Existing applications were not impacted. HTTP Basic Auth was not impacted.
  • May 1st, 2024: System administrators will start brownouts to find applications that are still using OAuth 1.0a or HTTP Basic Auth.
  • June 1st, 2024: OAuth 1.0a and HTTP Basic Auth will be shut down.

Retiring these authentication methods is necessary because of security concerns, and the complexity of maintaining so many authorization implementations, including ones that rely on unmaintained components.

How does this impact me as a developer?

If you are a developer of an application using OAuth 1.0a or HTTP Basic Auth to log in to the OpenStreetMap.org website, you might need to make some changes to switch to OAuth 2.0. Fortunately, this is a well-supported industry standard.

If your application only makes read calls to the API, authorization is optional. For rate-limiting purposes, it is still a good idea to add authorization to your requests, but it is not required. If your application is a website using OSM for logins, making use of OAuth 2.0 is much easier as it is much better supported because so many other sites use it. It also avoids problems like users ending up with many tokens in their list on the website.

If you are developing software that edits using the API and is run locally, you may need to make code changes. All common languages have libraries that deal with OAuth 2, and libraries are the preferred choice for any authorization. You can also use Zverik’s library for command-line tools, or write your own shell script of about a dozen lines.

You should be able to find lots of examples online of OAuth 2 client implementations in your language. If you want to get more detailed information or ask technical questions, please use the GitHub ticket. Here, the OWG also tracks the applications requiring modification to use OAuth 2.0.

How does this impact me as a mapper?

Most mappers will notice no change. The transition will not affect how you log in to your OSM account or use the website. iD and JOSM have supported OAuth 2.0 as the default authentication method for some time. If you use your OSM account to log in to a third-party site like the HOT Tasking Manager, MapRoulette, or HDYC, you will not be impacted as those sites have already moved to OAuth 2.0. Read-only API access does not require authorization at all.

The OpenStreetMap Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, formed to support the OpenStreetMap Project. It is dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free geospatial data for anyone to use and share. The OpenStreetMap Foundation owns and maintains the infrastructure of the OpenStreetMap project, is financially supported by membership fees and donations, and organises the annual, international State of the Map conference. Our volunteer Working Groups and small core staff work to support the OpenStreetMap project. Join the OpenStreetMap Foundation for just £15 a year or for free if you are an active OpenStreetMap contributor.

Three Great Reasons to Join the OSM Foundation as a Member

Here are three reasons why April is a great month to join the OpenStreetMap foundation as a member.

1. As a a member you can self-nominate to serve as a member of the OSMF Board. This allows you to influence the strategic plan, some of OSM’s finances and other matters that directly affect the direction of OpenStreetMap’s future.

This year’s OSMF General Meeting and board elections are 19 October 2024. This means that if you want to run for the Board you must become a member of the Foundation by 22 April 2024 There are FOUR Board positions up for election next fall. Even if you’re not sure that you want to run for the Board, but you think you might be interested, you should join!

2. If you are a member of the OSM foundation at least 90 days before the Annual General Meeting, you can vote in the annual Board elections, as well as on other foundation initiatives. The details on types of membership are here. Importantly, if you are an ‘active contributor’ you can apply for a free membership.

3. To help us grow and diversify the OSM Membership worldwide.

As you can see from this blog post, we are in the midst of a worldwide campaign to increase the number of OSM foundation members from all parts of the world. Right now, representation amongst OSM members is skewed toward the US and northern Europe, whereas there are many thousands of OSM contributors all over the world. By joining as a member, you can make the voices of the communities heard.

OSMF Board member Arnalie Vicario has been posting testimonials from current members on her X (and other accounts.). Here’s a video from Daniel Akor from OpenStreetMap Nigeria:

Become an OpenStreetMap foundation member today!

The OpenStreetMap Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, formed to support the OpenStreetMap Project. It is dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free geospatial data for anyone to use and share. The OpenStreetMap Foundation owns and maintains the infrastructure of the OpenStreetMap project, is financially supported by membership fees and donations, and organises the annual, international State of the Map conference. Our volunteer Working Groups and small core staff work to support the OpenStreetMap project. Join the OpenStreetMap Foundation for just £15 a year or for free if you are an active OpenStreetMap contributor

SotM 2024: Call for Academic Track Abstracts

This year’s State of the Map conference, a hybrid conference taking place in Nairobi and online simultaneously, will feature OSM Science 2024, aka the 7th edition of the Academic Track of State of the Map – a full day of sessions dedicated to academic research about, and with, OpenStreetMap. See see past editions:

The goal of OSM Science 2024 is to showcase the research and innovation of scientific investigations into OpenStreetMap, while at the same time providing a bridge to connect members of the OpenStreetMap community and the academic community through an open passage to exchange ideas and opportunities for increased collaboration. We expect empirical, methodological, conceptual, or literature-review-based contributions addressing any scientific aspect related to OpenStreetMap, in particular, but not limited to, data collection, integration and quality analysis in OpenStreetMap; contribution patterns and the human/social dimensions of the project; integration of Artificial Intelligence techniques and other applications in which OpenStreetMap takes a central role.

Submission Guidlines

Authors are invited to submit abstracts (800-1200 words in plain text, without figures) using the OSM Science 2024 Pretalx submission system by 10 May 2024. Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to deliver an oral presentation, a 5 minutes lightning talk, or to present a poster (in case a poster session will be organized) at OSM Science 2024 and to submit an extended abstract to the OSM Science 2024 Conference Proceedings (see the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 proceedings.)

Submit your proposal today!. Learn more about the requirements and the scientific committee on the official State of the Map 2024 website.

Do you want to translate this and other blogposts in your language…? Please email communication@osmfoundation.org with subject: Helping with translations in [your language]

The State of the Map conference is the annual, international conference of OpenStreetMap, organised by the OpenStreetMap Foundation. The OpenStreetMap Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, formed to support the OpenStreetMap Project. It is dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free geospatial data for anyone to use and share. The OpenStreetMap Foundation owns and maintains the infrastructure of the OpenStreetMap project, is financially supported by membership fees and donations, and organises the annual, international State of the Map conference. Our volunteer Working Groups and small core staff work to support the OpenStreetMap project. Join the OpenStreetMap Foundation for just £15 a year or for free if you are an active OpenStreetMap contributor.

OpenStreetMap was founded in 2004 and is an international project to create a free map  of the world. To do so, we, thousands of volunteers, collect data about roads, railways, rivers, forests, buildings and a lot more worldwide. Our map data can be downloaded for free by everyone and used for any  purpose – including commercial usage. It is possible to produce your own  maps which highlight certain features, to calculate routes etc. OpenStreetMap is increasingly used when one needs maps which can be very  quickly, or easily, updated.