Re: Entropy from net devices - keyboard & IDE just as 'bad' [was Re: [PATCH] let Net Devices feed Entropy, updated (1/2)]

[Robert Love <rml@tech9.net>]

On Tue, 2001-08-21 at 17:50, Robert Love wrote:
><snip>
> 
> In theory, we dont need both SHA-1 hash and the entropy count.  They
> exist to pacify a theoretical weakness in each.
> 
> Now, my net device patch should only be enabled in situations where both
> you trust SHA-1 (and I think most do) and you trust that reading net
> devices yields the full amount of entropy.

'lil typo on my part.  actually, if you trust SHA-1, it does not matter
if your net devices give zero entropy, because the SHA-1 hash of the
read from /dev/random is still unpredictable.

the problem is if you both _dont_ trust SHA-1 and _fear_ there is
less-than-estimated entropy from net devices on your network.

per Alex Bligh's suggestion, the Configure wording of the next patch
will explain this.
 
-- 
Robert M. Love
rml at ufl.edu
rml at tech9.net