linux-kernel - Re: deconflicting new syscall numbers for 6.11

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <CAHk-=whmVf0Wj0FMRJtb9ofKtZ30tQFosQ6fNqO6_uEEYXa1CA@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2024 10:47:07 -0700
From: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
To: "Jason A. Donenfeld" <Jason@...c4.com>
Cc: jolsa@...nel.org, mhiramat@...nel.org, cgzones@...glemail.com, 
	brauner@...nel.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, arnd@...db.de
Subject: Re: deconflicting new syscall numbers for 6.11

On Thu, 4 Jul 2024 at 10:33, Linus Torvalds
<torvalds@...ux-foundation.org> wrote:
>
> I need a real actual live user that says "I can't just use rdrand and
> my own chacha mixing on top" and explains why having a SSE2 chachacha
> in kernel code exposed as a vdso is so critical, and a magical buffer
> maintained by the kernel.

One final note: the reason I'm so negative about this all is that the
random number subsystem has such an absolutely _horrendous_ history of
two main conflicting issues: people wanting reasonable usable random
numbers on one side, and then the people that discuss what the word
"entropy" means on the other side.

And honestly, I don't want the kernel stuck even *more* in the middle
of that morass. I strongly suspect that one reason why glibc people
would want this is the exact same reason: _they_ don't want to be
stuck in the same padded room with the crazies _either_, so they love
the concept of "somebody else's problem".

So no. I do not think "libc people want this" is an argument at all
for the kernel doing it. Quite the reverse. It's a "pass the hot
potato" thing. Which is why I really really want those real users
standing up and saying "we can't use rdrand and rdtsc and our own
mixing".

                Linus