From: "Allen Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
easmith> > The 20 bytes minimum is the needed amount of seeding to get secure
easmith> > enough random numbers from the pool. Each time you fetch random
easmith> > bytes, the pool is remixed, thus providing for more random bytes.
easmith>
easmith> However, it would also be helpful for randomness _sources_ to
easmith> know how much more randomness is needed. It can be a scarce
easmith> resource, after all.
Uhmm, an exactly how should OpenSSL tell the sources how much more
seeding it needs, except for actually reading that many bytes?
easmith> > Unless you find it worrying that we ask of only 20 bytes minimum of
easmith> > seeding, you should be without problems.
easmith>
easmith> Being able to check exactly how much has been seeded would also be
easmith> helpful for applications for which one does _not_ regard 20 bytes as
easmith> sufficient (e.g., key generation for large, long-term-used keys).
That's what the "Unless ..." was about, I guess :-).
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