*BSD News Article 92242


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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
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From: caussep@sphynx.fdn.fr (Philippe CAUSSE)
Subject: Re: rand_irqs in sysconfig
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Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 20:30:23 GMT
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Darren Henderson (darren@Quint.somtel.com) wrote:
: Meant to ask this a while ago but forgot all about it. In the sysconfig
: file for 2.1.5R there is a setting for rand_irqs. Comments say that its
: for generating entropy in the kernel. 

: Mine is current let to NO. I havent really noticed any performance
: problems anywhere. What will setting this to an appropriate value do for
: me?
It improves the random numbers generator by introducing non-deterministic
events, the aim is to produce a sequence of random numbers which is
unlikely reproductible by another machine. Needed if security is your concern.

To state it simply, it improves security...

: Thanks.
You're welcome,
Philippe.

: ______________________________________________________________________________
: Darren Henderson                                      darren@jasper.somtel.com
:                                                             dhenderson@bix.com
-- 
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P. Causse			http://www.fdn.fr/~pcausse
4.4BSD/X11R6/Motif-2.0/C++	mailto:caussep@sphynx.fdn.fr (UUCP)