linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2 00/11] introduce random32_get_bytes() and random32_get_bytes

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Date:	Tue, 6 Nov 2012 22:04:59 +0900
From:	Akinobu Mita <akinobu.mita@...il.com>
To:	David Laight <David.Laight@...lab.com>
Cc:	Valdis.Kletnieks@...edu, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	akpm@...ux-foundation.org, "Theodore Ts'o" <tytso@....edu>,
	Artem Bityutskiy <dedekind1@...il.com>,
	Adrian Hunter <adrian.hunter@...el.com>,
	David Woodhouse <dwmw2@...radead.org>,
	linux-mtd@...ts.infradead.org,
	Eilon Greenstein <eilong@...adcom.com>, netdev@...r.kernel.org,
	Robert Love <robert.w.love@...el.com>, devel@...n-fcoe.org,
	Michel Lespinasse <walken@...gle.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2 00/11] introduce random32_get_bytes() and random32_get_bytes_state()

2012/11/6 David Laight <David.Laight@...lab.com>:
>> On Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:43:31 +0900, Akinobu Mita said:
>> > This patchset introduces new functions into random32 library for
>> > getting the requested number of pseudo-random bytes.
>> >
>> > Before introducing these new functions into random32 library,
>> > prandom32() and prandom32_seed() with "prandom32" prefix are
>> > renamed to random32_state() and srandom32_state() respectively.
>> >
>> > The purpose of this renaming is to prevent some kernel developers
>> > from assuming that prandom32() and random32() might imply that only
>> > prandom32() was the one using a pseudo-random number generator by
>> > prandom32's "p", and the result may be a very embarassing security
>> > exposure.
>>
>> Out of curiosity, why the '32'?  I'm just waiting for some kernel developer to
>> do something stupid with this on a 64-bit arch because they think it's a 32-bit API. ;)
>>
>> Should we bite the bullet and lose the 32, as long as we're churning the code *anyhow*?
>
> Also why remove the 'pseudo' part of the name?
> It is an important part of the name.

Thanks for the heads-up.  Then, what is the ideal function name for
pseudo-random library?

I propose the following renaming, 'p' prefix is restored and '32' is
removed for not returning 32bit pseudo-random number functions.

void prandom_seed(u32 seed);    /* rename from srandom32() */
u32 prandom32(void);            /* rename from random32() */
void prandom_get_byte(void *buf, int bytes);

void prandom_seed_state(struct rnd_state *state, u64 seed);
                                        /* rename from prandom32_seed() */
u32 prandom32_state(struct rnd_state *state);   /* rename from prandom32() */
void prandom_get_byte_state(struct rnd_state *state, void *buf, int bytes);
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