From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S935986AbWK1RqO (ORCPT ); Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:46:14 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S935987AbWK1RqN (ORCPT ); Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:46:13 -0500 Received: from iriserv.iradimed.com ([69.44.168.233]:8314 "EHLO iradimed.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S935986AbWK1RqL (ORCPT ); Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:46:11 -0500 Message-ID: <456C7603.7030005@cfl.rr.com> Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:46:43 -0500 From: Phillip Susi User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.8 (Windows/20061025) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Martin Mares CC: David Wagner , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Entropy Pool Contents References: <456B3483.4010704@cfl.rr.com> <456B4CD2.7090208@cfl.rr.com> <456C704F.3050008@cfl.rr.com> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-OriginalArrivalTime: 28 Nov 2006 17:46:19.0314 (UTC) FILETIME=[1C491120:01C71315] X-TM-AS-Product-Ver: SMEX-7.2.0.1122-3.6.1039-14840.003 X-TM-AS-Result: No--9.651200-5.000000-31 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Martin Mares wrote: > I'm adding entropy, but unless I record the exact amount of entropy when > dumping the pool, I don't know how much I am adding, so using any fixed > number is obviously wrong. You aren't dumping and restoring the entropy pool; you are dumping random data generated by the pool, and using that data to stir the new entropy pool after the next boot. There is no direct relationship between the entropy of the old and new pools. The kernel needs to decide how much entropy you added based on how much random data you provide it with to stir the pool.