dev/random

[Brooks Davis]

On Tue, Apr 13, 2004 at 02:49:14PM -0400, Charles Swiger wrote:
> 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.  :-) ]

You don't get to assume the existance of rc.conf until after
initdiskless runs.

-- Brooks