linux-kernel - Re: [RFC][PATCH] Pseudo-random number generator

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Message-Id: <1165578135.5343.15.camel@bender>
Date:	Fri, 08 Dec 2006 12:42:15 +0100
From:	Jan Glauber <jan.glauber@...ibm.com>
To:	Arnd Bergmann <arnd@...db.de>
Cc:	linux-crypto <linux-crypto@...r.kernel.org>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [RFC][PATCH] Pseudo-random number generator

On Thu, 2006-12-07 at 19:43 +0100, Arnd Bergmann wrote:
> On Thursday 07 December 2006 16:19, Jan Glauber wrote:
> > Hm, why is /dev/urandom implemented in the kernel?
> > 
> > It could be done completely in user-space (like libica already does)
> > but I think having a device node where you can read from is the simplest
> > implementation. Also, if we can solve the security flaw we could use it
> > as replacement for /dev/urandom.
> 
> urandom is more useful, because can't be implemented in user space at
> all. /dev/urandom will use the real randomness from the kernel as a seed
> without depleting the entropy pool. How does your /dev/prandom device
> compare to /dev/urandom performance-wise? If it can be made to use
> the same input data and it turns out to be significantly faster, I can
> see some use for it.

The performance of the PRNG without constantly adding entropy is up tp
factor 40 faster than /dev/urandom ;- , depending on the block size of
the read.

With the current patch it performs not so well because of the STCKE loop
before every KMC. I think about removing them and changing the
periodically seed to use get_random_bytes instead.

Jan

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