On 09/05/2013 10:48 AM, Theodore Ts'o wrote: > On Thu, Sep 05, 2013 at 08:18:44AM -0400, Prarit Bhargava wrote: >> The current code has two exported functions, get_bytes_random() and >> get_bytes_random_arch(). The first function only calls the entropy >> store to get random data, and the second only calls the arch specific >> hardware random number generator. >> >> The problem is that no code is using the get_bytes_random_arch() and >> switching >> over will require a significant code change. Even if the change is >> made it will be static forcing a recompile of code if/when a user has a >> system with a trusted random HW source. A better thing to do is allow >> users to decide whether they trust their hardare random number generator. > > I fail to see the benefit of just using the hardware random number > generator. We are already mixing in the hardware random number > generator into the /dev/random pool, and so the only thing that using
The issue isn't userspace /dev/random as much as it is the use of get_random_bytes() through out the kernel. Switching to get_random_bytes_arch() is a search'n'replace on the entire kernel. If a user wants the faster random HW generator why shouldn't they be able to use it by default? P. -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majord...@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/