From: Henrique de Moraes Holschuh Subject: Re: [PATCH] CPU Jitter RNG: inclusion into kernel crypto API and /dev/random Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 14:06:23 -0200 Message-ID: <20131028160623.GD15440@khazad-dum.debian.net> References: <2579337.FPgJGgHYdz@tauon> <2049321.gMV6JUDze7@tauon> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Cc: Theodore Ts'o , sandy harris , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-crypto@vger.kernel.org To: Stephan Mueller Return-path: Received: from out4-smtp.messagingengine.com ([66.111.4.28]:33327 "EHLO out4-smtp.messagingengine.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1756532Ab3J1QG0 (ORCPT ); Mon, 28 Oct 2013 12:06:26 -0400 Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <2049321.gMV6JUDze7@tauon> Sender: linux-crypto-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On Mon, 28 Oct 2013, Stephan Mueller wrote: > If it is accepted that the CPU Jitter RNG delivers entropy, the latter > update may now allow us to get rid of storing the seed file during > shutdown and restoring it during the next boot sequence. That's a 4096-bit safety net (uncredited entropy) which at least Debian shall not remove. I think Debian also dumps some low-entropy-per-bit crap into /dev/random during boot (again, not credited), such as the boot kernel logs. We could increase the density of that entropy a lot using gzip -0 or something like that... is an uncredited low-entropy-per-bit dump into the pool detrimental to its quality? -- "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot Henrique Holschuh