Solaris /dev/random

Werner Koch wk@gnupg.org
Mon, 30 Aug 1999 08:21:31 +0200


Hi,

I am back and now processing my mailspool ...


Michael Roth <mroth@nessie.de> writes:

> Hmm. I don't know anything about /dev/random on Solaris. However, you can
> use a small tool to test the random number generator. Check out
> "http://www.fourmilab.to/random/". Copy some data from /dev/random in a

You can't test such a device because it is easy to fake pure random by 
using the output of a hash function.  And because a hash function is
nearly always used you won't get any results from test sutes like
diehard etc. 

The only way to check such a device is by analyzing it's code.


-- 
Werner Koch at guug.de           www.gnupg.org           keyid 621CC013