Messages in this thread |  | | Date | Wed, 15 May 1996 13:34:58 -0400 | From | "Theodore Y. Ts'o" <> | Subject | Re: CONFIG_RANDOM option for 1.99.2 |
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From: Martin Mares <mj@k332.feld.cvut.cz> Date: Wed, 15 May 1996 11:42:59 +0200 (MET DST)
OK. There really should be a kernel-level random number generator, because it's useful in many kernel parts related to networking (although they usually generate the numbers themselves for now). On the other side, we probably should make the current high-quality (but high-overhead) generator optional and create a kernel-level interface to a 32-bit generator using the high-quality one if it's present or something else (a simple linear congruential generator?) instead if it isn't.
No, don't bother with a simple linear congruential generator --- those are trivial to break, and most of the places where you need strong random numbers, a linear congruential generator simply won't cut it.
That's why I've resisted strenuously any suggestion that /dev/random might be replaced by a psuedo-random number generator --- that will only give people a false sense of security, while network cracker cackle with glee over how easy it is to break into Linux boxes....
- Ted
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