Re: CONFIG_RANDOM (compromise?)
H. Peter Anvin (hpa@transmeta.com)
31 May 1996 17:38:17 GMT
In article <m0uLymk-000LoyC@phascolarctid.rebellion.co.uk>,
Jamie Lokier <jamie@rebellion.co.uk> wrote:
>I have a suggestion which might make everyone reasonably happy.
>How about:
>
> 1. Make that part of random.o which is /dev/random and /dev/urandom
> into a loadable module (demand loaded using kerneld, of course).
>
> 2. Collect entropy into the pool at all times, even when the module
> isn't loaded. This code is really quite small, as is the entropy
> pool itself, so this shouldn't bother anyone too much.
>
> It might be worth not actually mixing, or estimating the amount of
> entropy contributed, until the module is loaded. This would make
> the code smaller (and presumably a little faster) in order to
> pacify those who care. It would make the pool larger for the same
> entropy though, so may not be worthwhile.
>
HUH? This is the bulk of the code, so there seems to be little use
for this at all.
-hpa