[kwlug-disc] Hardware Random Number Generators

Paul Nijjar paul_nijjar at yahoo.ca
Fri Feb 10 12:56:19 EST 2012


On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 12:23:53PM -0500, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 11:23 AM, Paul Nijjar <paul_nijjar at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> 
> > A while ago I was looking for a way to generate lots of random bits
> > quickly. I was finding that I was running out of bits and my processes
> > were blocking.
> >
> 
> What about cat /dev/urandom | your-program?
> 
> Would that do?

Not really. /dev/urandom is pseudo-random. If you are generating
passwords you shouldn't use it. 

Mind you, I am not sure how much to trust /dev/random or the HRNG
functionality either, but I basically go on faith.

- Paul

-- 
http://pnijjar.freeshell.org 




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