From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Jul 26 22:32:34 2005
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A8C5B16A41F
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue, 26 Jul 2005 22:32:34 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from matt@atopia.net)
Received: from neptune.atopia.net (neptune.atopia.net [209.128.231.90])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2E63C43D58
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue, 26 Jul 2005 22:32:33 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from matt@atopia.net)
Received: by neptune.atopia.net (Postfix, from userid 1001)
	id 53CA76187; Tue, 26 Jul 2005 18:32:32 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by neptune.atopia.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4F68E6186
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue, 26 Jul 2005 18:32:32 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 18:32:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: Matt Juszczak <matt@atopia.net>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20050726183029.M97284@neptune.atopia.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
Subject: cat /dev/urandom
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 22:32:34 -0000

Hi all,

Quick question.

shell# cat /dev/urandom

can that executed as root cause any harm to the system?  What if a random 
sequence of `rm *` was generated... would it be executed?

I tried that to fix my terminal and forgot it might cause damage as root, 
even if its just being cat'd to the screen.  I thought I saw some files 
fly by which would indicate an execution of `ls`....

Just curious....

Thanks,

Matt