Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 23:58:29 -0500 From: "Matthew D. Fuller" <fullermd@futuresouth.com> To: Kris Kennaway <kkennawa@physics.adelaide.edu.au> Cc: "Daniel O'Connor" <doconnor@gsoft.com.au>, chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD & X Message-ID: <19990601235828.Y6251@futuresouth.com> In-Reply-To: <Pine.OSF.4.10.9906021417590.21520-100000@bragg>; from Kris Kennaway on Wed, Jun 02, 1999 at 02:21:05PM %2B0930 References: <19990601234004.W6251@futuresouth.com> <Pine.OSF.4.10.9906021417590.21520-100000@bragg>
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On Wed, Jun 02, 1999 at 02:21:05PM +0930, a little birdie told me that Kris Kennaway remarked > > > > # Generate the cookie in multiple parts, just for added safety > > key1=`/usr/bin/vmstat -i | /sbin/md5` > > key2=`/usr/bin/netstat -i | /sbin/md5` > > key3=`/bin/ps -gaxuww | /sbin/md5` > > key4=`/usr/sbin/pstat -f | /sbin/md5` > > Why not just > > dd if=/dev/urandom bs=<whatever> Boring! :) Anyone who'll sacrifice beauty for a little extra randomness shouldn't be running X anyway ;> > The above doesn't give all that good randomization of your key.. Actually, it gives a pretty good bit of randomization with md5; it's certainly not absolutely secure, but it'll stand up to any casual attacks. In fact, dd'ing from /dev/random | md5 'looks' less random to my eye; I haven't done any in-depth tests of either, but I think it falls pretty deep into 'plenty good enough'. -- *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* | Matthew Fuller MF4839 http://www.over-yonder.net/ | * fullermd@futuresouth.com fullermd@over-yonder.net * | UNIX Systems Administrator Specializing in FreeBSD | * FutureSouth Communications ISPHelp ISP Consulting * | "The only reason I'm burning my candle at both ends, | * is because I haven't figured out how to light the * | middle yet" | *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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