From owner-freebsd-current Thu Oct 26 14: 2:57 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from grimreaper.grondar.za (adsl-63-206-96-212.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net [63.206.96.212]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B6E0837B479 for ; Thu, 26 Oct 2000 14:02:53 -0700 (PDT) Received: from grondar.za (mark@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by grimreaper.grondar.za (8.11.1/8.11.1) with ESMTP id e9QL2ZM00703; Thu, 26 Oct 2000 14:02:38 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from mark@grondar.za) Message-Id: <200010262102.e9QL2ZM00703@grimreaper.grondar.za> To: Matt Dillon Cc: current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: entropy reseeding is totally broken References: <200010262047.e9QKleY45974@earth.backplane.com> In-Reply-To: <200010262047.e9QKleY45974@earth.backplane.com> ; from Matt Dillon "Thu, 26 Oct 2000 13:47:40 PDT." Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 14:02:35 -0700 From: Mark Murray Sender: owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG > This would be trivial, you can use the swap allocation code (example: > see the VN device, dev/vn/vn.c) to reserve, read, and write the swap. Thanks! :-) > However, I don't see much of a point in doing this. Not everyone > configures swap, so you can't count on it, and a system dump will > overwrite swap, so you would have to mess around with that as well > and I can tell you it just isn't worth the effort. Maintaining an entropy > file in /var/db has no downside at all and is a whole lot easier > to manage. There is the problem that for each setup, there are many admins who will have a non-writable filesapce for at least one of (/ /var /boot /etc). Sure, there may not be a $PRIMARYSWAP, but if there is, it is IMO the best place to put stashed entropy. > This /dev/random stuff is a little wild -- I think the premis is sound, > but you really need to look towards implementing more straightforward > solutions rather then hacking up unrelated parts of the system. Forget > doing special magic in the kernel. Forget using swap. Forget having > ridiculously huge entropy files. Simplify it and everyone will be a whole > lot happier. :-) I'd like your suggestion a lot more if you supplied some more concrete hints. I like KISS, and current evolution is looking a little wierd. I'd enjoy seeing a true/beautiful/simple solution - patches welcome. :-) M -- Mark Murray Join the anti-SPAM movement: http://www.cauce.org To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message