Unable to generate random numbers?

[Robert Watson]

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006, Krassimir Slavchev wrote:

> When I try to generate random bytes using rand() or random() functions I 
> found that these functions return constant values!?

Sounds pretty odd -- even if not explicitly seeded, you should be getting 
something pseudo-random, even if what you get is deterministic.  Are you 
calling srandomdev() before invoking random()?  Are you definitely using the 
result of invoking random() and not using the function pointer for random(), 
which will be constant?

Robert N M Watson
Computer Laboratory
University of Cambridge

>
> I am running:
> FreeBSD krassi 6.1-STABLE FreeBSD 6.1-STABLE #13: Tue Jul 11 13:41:31 EEST 
> 2006     root at krassi:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/MyKernel  i386
>
> sysctl kern.random
> kern.random.yarrow.gengateinterval: 10
> kern.random.yarrow.bins: 10
> kern.random.yarrow.fastthresh: 192
> kern.random.yarrow.slowthresh: 256
> kern.random.yarrow.slowoverthresh: 2
> kern.random.sys.seeded: 1
> kern.random.sys.harvest.ethernet: 1
> kern.random.sys.harvest.point_to_point: 1
> kern.random.sys.harvest.interrupt: 1
> kern.random.sys.harvest.swi: 0
>
>
> Best Regards
>
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