Re: [tlug] /dev/random is truly random?

["Mauro D. Sauco" <sauco@??>]

On 2007/02/22@??:52, <Hung Vu Nguyen> wrote:
  > Hi,
  > 
  > Linux's /dev/random is made from <kernel source>/drivers/char/random.c
  > The seed used there is system timer, and it adds more "noise" from
  > divice drives like keyboard "to have numbers which are not only
  > random, but hard to * predict by an attacker." ( quote from the
  > comment of the source code ) ( Yet, the seed is still timer! ).

It is interesting that random.c still generates a seed from predictable
sources only which make it fall in the category of "pseudo random". 
I use to work for a "Secret project" :) and I did some research on this 
topic. If I remember there was a true random (sorry I don have time to
google) generator based on a kaotic randomnes source from electron
vibration quantum effect on the silicon of some processors (maybe AMD) 
and there is a set of instructions to reach it. There was a guy working 
on a module for 2.6 kernels that uses it to register a random device. 
You might want to take a look at it.

//mauro//