Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 12:10:58 -0700 From: Brooks Davis <brooks@one-eyed-alien.net> To: Charles Swiger <cswiger@mac.com> Cc: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: dev/random Message-ID: <20040413191058.GF20550@Odin.AC.HMC.Edu> In-Reply-To: <428207C0-8D7B-11D8-B697-003065ABFD92@mac.com> References: <200404131550.i3DFocIn099231@grimreaper.grondar.org> <428207C0-8D7B-11D8-B697-003065ABFD92@mac.com>
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On Tue, Apr 13, 2004 at 02:49:14PM -0400, Charles Swiger wrote:
> On Apr 13, 2004, at 11:50 AM, Mark Murray wrote:
> [ ...with regard to /dev/random blocking at boot... ]
> >For now, kickstart the device with
> >
> ># ${SOME_COMMAND} > /dev/random
> >
> >SOME_COMMAND should have output entropy proportional to the seriousness
> >of your threat model. For messing around at home, 'ls -alR /etc /var'
> >is
> >probably OK.
>
> Why not set $entropy_dir in rc.conf and kickstart /dev/random using
> much higher quality entropy available when the machine was shutdown
> last?
>
> [ A good answer might be that the Original Poster is using
> limited-write media like compact flash to boot from and doesn't want to
> keep scribbling 8K or so of entropy to CF, but mailing-list lag has
> made it difficult to track the context original message. :-) ]
You don't get to assume the existance of rc.conf until after
initdiskless runs.
-- Brooks
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