Re: [PATCH] API for true Random Number Generators to add entropy (2.6.11)

David McCullough
2005-03-24T04:46:37Z

Jivin Jeff Garzik lays it down ...
> On Thu, Mar 24, 2005 at 02:27:08PM +1000, David McCullough wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Here is a small patch for 2.6.11 that adds a routine:
> >
> > add_true_randomness(__u32 *buf, int nwords);
> >
> > so that true random number generator device drivers can add a entropy
> > to the system. Drivers that use this can be found in the latest release
> > of ocf-linux, an asynchronous crypto implementation for linux based on
> > the *BSD Cryptographic Framework.
> >
> > http://ocf-linux.sourceforge.net/
> >
> > Adding this can dramatically improve the performance of /dev/random on
> > small embedded systems which do not generate much entropy.
>
> We've already had hardware RNG support for a while now.
>
> No kernel patching needed.

Are you talking about /dev/hw_random ? If not then sorry I didn't see it :-(

On a lot of the small systems I work on, /dev/random is completely
unresponsive, and all the apps use /dev/random, not /dev/hw_random.

Would you suggest making /dev/random point to /dev/hw_random then ?

Thanks,
Davidm

--
David McCullough, davidm@snapgear.com Ph:+61 7 34352815 http://www.SnapGear.com
Custom Embedded Solutions + Security Fx:+61 7 38913630 http://www.uCdot.org