dev/random

[Charles Swiger]

On Apr 13, 2004, at 11:50 AM, Mark Murray wrote:
[ ...with regard to /dev/random blocking at boot... ]
> 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.

Why not set $entropy_dir in rc.conf and kickstart /dev/random using 
much higher quality entropy available when the machine was shutdown 
last?

[ A good answer might be that the Original Poster is using 
limited-write media like compact flash to boot from and doesn't want to 
keep scribbling 8K or so of entropy to CF, but mailing-list lag has 
made it difficult to track the context original message.  :-) ]

-- 
-Chuck