[ab4fdfc] | 1 | <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
|
---|
[6732c094] | 2 | <!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
|
---|
| 3 | "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [
|
---|
[f8d632ac] | 4 | <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
|
---|
| 5 | %general-entities;
|
---|
| 6 | ]>
|
---|
| 7 |
|
---|
[f1ce80b] | 8 | <sect1 id="postlfs-config-random" xreflabel="Random number generation" revision="sysv">
|
---|
[5a1ffdd] | 9 | <?dbhtml filename="random.html"?>
|
---|
| 10 |
|
---|
| 11 |
|
---|
| 12 | <title>Random Number Generation</title>
|
---|
| 13 |
|
---|
| 14 | <indexterm zone="postlfs-config-random">
|
---|
| 15 | <primary sortas="f-random">random</primary>
|
---|
| 16 | </indexterm>
|
---|
| 17 |
|
---|
[81a73ed8] | 18 | <para>
|
---|
| 19 | The Linux kernel supplies a random number generator which is accessed
|
---|
| 20 | through <filename class="devicefile">/dev/random</filename> and
|
---|
| 21 | <filename class="devicefile">/dev/urandom</filename>. Programs that utilize
|
---|
| 22 | the random and urandom devices, such as <application>OpenSSH</application>,
|
---|
| 23 | will benefit from these instructions.
|
---|
| 24 | </para>
|
---|
| 25 |
|
---|
| 26 | <para>
|
---|
| 27 | When a Linux system starts up without much operator interaction, the
|
---|
| 28 | entropy pool (data used to compute a random number) may be in a fairly
|
---|
| 29 | predictable state. This creates the real possibility that the number
|
---|
| 30 | generated at startup may always be the same. In order to counteract
|
---|
| 31 | this effect, you should carry the entropy pool information across your
|
---|
| 32 | shut-downs and start-ups.
|
---|
| 33 | </para>
|
---|
| 34 |
|
---|
| 35 | <para>
|
---|
| 36 | Install the <filename>/etc/rc.d/init.d/random</filename> init script
|
---|
| 37 | included with the <xref linkend="bootscripts"/> package.
|
---|
| 38 | </para>
|
---|
[5a1ffdd] | 39 |
|
---|
| 40 | <screen role="root"><userinput>make install-random</userinput></screen>
|
---|
[f45b1953] | 41 |
|
---|
| 42 | </sect1>
|
---|