From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Mon, 20 Aug 2001 12:38:13 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Mon, 20 Aug 2001 12:38:03 -0400 Received: from blount.mail.mindspring.net ([207.69.200.226]:55073 "EHLO blount.mail.mindspring.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Mon, 20 Aug 2001 12:37:49 -0400 Subject: Re: [PATCH] let Net Devices feed Entropy, updated (1/2) From: Robert Love To: Johan Adolfsson Cc: Martin Dalecki , Oliver Xymoron , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, riel@conectiva.com.br In-Reply-To: <21a701c12963$bcb05b60$0a070d0a@axis.se> In-Reply-To: <998193404.653.12.camel@phantasy> <3B80E01B.2C61FF8@evision-ventures.com> <21a701c12963$bcb05b60$0a070d0a@axis.se> Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Evolution/0.12.99+cvs.2001.08.19.07.08 (Preview Release) Date: 20 Aug 2001 12:36:52 -0400 Message-Id: <998325471.2936.25.camel@phantasy> Mime-Version: 1.0 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On 20 Aug 2001 12:34:48 +0200, Johan Adolfsson wrote: > And I think you are wrong, this patch is needed. > Keep up the good work Robert! I will -- thank you for the words. :) > Where would you get the single seed from in an embedded head > less system if you don't have a hardware random generator, > no disk and don't seed it from the network interrupts? exactly. this thread has gone off on a tangent arguing the very merits of /dev/random itself. obviously if you dislike the kernel's entropy gatherer, this patch won't sit well either. the proper argument is, assuming that /dev/random is A Good Thing, is this patch useful? since its configurable, its not forcing any policy. since it can be argued pretty strongly that more entropy is needed on a headless and/or diskless, I think some people need it. personally, it boosts my self-esteem to have another source of entropy (my 3c905). if you are worried of the threats net devices have to your entropy, by all means -- dont enable the config setting. > I think the patch makes sense - let people have the config option. hopefully we can get the patch merged, if for nothing else for 2.5. -- Robert M. Love rml at ufl.edu rml at tech9.net