Messages in this thread | | | From | Sandy Harris <> | Date | Sun, 19 Jun 2016 16:47:35 -0400 | Subject | Re: [PATCH v5 0/7] /dev/random - a new approach |
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On Sun, Jun 19, 2016 at 3:36 PM, Pavel Machek <pavel@ucw.cz> wrote:
>> The following patch set provides a different approach to /dev/random ... > > Dunno. It is very similar to existing rng, AFAICT.
I do not think so. A lot of the basic principles are the same of course, but Stephan is suggesting some real changes. On the other hand, I'm not sure all of them are good ideas & Ted has already incorporated some into the driver, so it is debatable how much here is really useful.
> And at the very least, constants in existing RNG could be tuned > to provide "entropy at the boot time".
No, this is a rather hard problem & just tweaking definitely will not solve it. Ted's patches, Stephan's, mine, the grsecurity stuff and the kernel hardening project all have things that might help, but as far as I can see there is no complete in-kernel solution yet.
Closest thing I have seen to a solution are Denker's suggestions at: http://www.av8n.com/computer/htm/secure-random.htm#sec-boot-image
Those, though, require changes to build & installation methods & it might be hard to get distros & device vendors to do it.
> So IMO this should be re-done as tweaks to existing design, not as > completely new RNG.
I agree, & I think Stephan has already done some of that.
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