Hi, This message was on the DEC-Alpha mailing list for RedHat; i've seen something similar happen. Quite a nice little problem!
Dave /------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Dr. David Alan Gilbert | | | -------- G7FHJ --------|---------------------------------------- | | Home: dave @ treblig.org http://www.treblig.org | \------------------------------------------------------------------/ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 21:48:50 -0800 From: Robert M. Riches Jr. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: shallow end of the entropy pool Greetings, When I upgraded from RH7.0 to RH7.1, the X server started taking much longer to come up. This problem and solution showed up on an Alpha machine, but I don't know whether it's Alpha-specific. In case it will help (or amuse) anyone else, ... The startx script, used to start an X window system server, calls the mcookie command, and this creates a security cookie by reading from /dev/random, reading from the entropy pool. If the entropy pool is empty, the read from /dev/random waits until there are enough bits of randomness available for mcookie. This prevents the X server from starting as quickly as it should. The easiest solution, as crazy as it sounds, is to type gibberish at the keyboard or move the mouse around (or presumably tap the mouse buttons). This user input provides the kernel the opportunity to refill the entropy pool, which allows the read of /dev/random to complete, which allows mcookie to finish its work, which allows the X server to do its thing. Robert Riches [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Axp-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/axp-list _______________________________________________ Xpert mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/xpert
