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To: Andrew Thompson <andy@fud.org.nz>
From: Mark Murray <markm@FreeBSD.ORG>
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 12 Apr 2004 22:33:33 +1200."
             <20040412103333.GA47211@kate.fud.org.nz> 
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 16:50:38 +0100
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Subject: Re: dev/random 
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Andrew Thompson writes:
> With the latest dev/random commits I have been unable to installworld
> in single-user mode. mktemp blocks when trying to read the random
> device, I have confirmed this by doing 'hexdump /dev/random' which
> produces no output.
>
> after running '/etc/rc.d/random start' everything is working fine. Can
> anyone else confirm this?

This is a feature.

For now, kickstart the device with

# ${SOME_COMMAND} > /dev/random

SOME_COMMAND should have output entropy proportional to the seriousness
of your threat model. For messing around at home, 'ls -alR /etc /var' is
probably OK.

Something like 'echo foo' will work, but will start your RNG in a known
insecure state.

M
--
Mark Murray
iumop ap!sdn w,I idlaH