linux-kernel - Re: random: Providing a seed value to VM guests

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Message-ID: <5362B618.50602@zytor.com>
Date:	Thu, 01 May 2014 14:01:12 -0700
From:	"H. Peter Anvin" <hpa@...or.com>
To:	Andy Lutomirski <luto@...capital.net>,
	"Theodore Ts'o" <tytso@....edu>,
	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	kvm list <kvm@...r.kernel.org>,
	Florian Weimer <fweimer@...hat.com>,
	Kees Cook <kees@...flux.net>
Subject: Re: random: Providing a seed value to VM guests

On 05/01/2014 01:56 PM, Andy Lutomirski wrote:
> 
> Even if we could emulate RDSEED effectively**, I don't really
> understand what the guest is expected to do with it.  And I generally
> dislike defining an interface with no known sensible users, because it
> means that there's a good chance that the interface won't end up
> working.
>
> ** Doing this sensibly in the host will be awkward.  Is the host
> supposed to use non-blocking reads of /dev/random?  Getting anything
> remotely fair may be difficult.

The host can use nonblocking reads of /dev/random.  Fairness would have
to be implemented at the host level, but that is true for anything.

	-hpa


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