linux-kernel - urandom is too slow

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Message-ID: <508FEA5A.7010406@cc.hut.fi>
Date:	Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:55:22 +0200
From:	Lasse Kärkkäinen <ljkarkk2@...hut.fi>
To:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: urandom is too slow

Apparently there has been little or no development on urandom even 
though the device is in widespread use for disk shredding and such use. 
The device emits data at rather slow rate of 19 MB/s even on modern 
hardware where other software-based PRNGs could do far better. An even 
better option seems to be utilizing AES for encrypting zeroes, using a 
random key, allowing for rates up to 500 MB/s with hardware that has 
AES-NI instructions.

Why is urandom so slow and why isn't AES hardware acceleration utilized?

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