[SOLVED] /dev/random "environment noise" from device drivers?

gacanepa · 12-03-2012, 11:26 AM

Hi everyone,
After reading the man page for /dev/random (as I wanted to know what is was) it states that

Code:

The random number generator gathers environmental noise from device drivers and other sources into an entropy pool. The generator also keeps an estimate of the number of bits of noise in the entropy pool. From this entropy pool random numbers are created.

I am having kind of a hard time trying to understand 2 concepts:
1) "Environment noise"
2) "Entropy pool"
Would any of you be as kind as to shed some light on this?
Thanks in advance.

business_kid · 12-04-2012, 05:50 AM

Try thinking of a scheme to logically create different random numbers . . . .

Now that you see the problem, noise probably has some program-specific application, but the key factor is unpredictability. If it's predictable, it's repeatable, ergo not random. See the entropy pool as a long string of numbers on a page that one can pick random digits from to form your random number.
I thought the current node of preference was /dev/urandom anyhow, because /dev/random wasn't random enough.

gacanepa · 12-04-2012, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

Try thinking of a scheme to logically create different random numbers . . . .

Now that you see the problem, noise probably has some program-specific application, but the key factor is unpredictability. If it's predictable, it's repeatable, ergo not random. See the entropy pool as a long string of numbers on a page that one can pick random digits from to form your random number.
I thought the current node of preference was /dev/urandom anyhow, because /dev/random wasn't random enough.

Thanks a lot! I am going to mark this thread as SOLVED and add to your reputation right now

. Happy holidays!