[fwd] --gen-key (Need 300 more bytes) (from: olibode@optushome.com.au)

[Anthony David]

Werner Koch <wk@gnupg.org> writes:

> From: "Oliver Bode" <olibode@optushome.com.au>
> Subject: --gen-key (Need 300 more bytes)
> To: <gnupg-users@gnupg.org>
> Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2000 22:16:21 +1000
> 
> Hello,
> 
> Our ISP just installed gnupg for us on our server. However, I'm getting an
> error that I would like to sort out
> 
> Each time I try to generate keys I get the following:
> 
> Not enough random bytes available.  Please do some other work to give
> the OS a chance to collect more entropy! (Need 300 more bytes)
> 
> I don't seem to have any control over this and my telnet program hangs up.
> 
> In the documentation it says:
> 
> --gen-key Generate a new key pair. This command can only be used
> interactive.
> 
> How can I become interactive? Is this the problem?

Telnet is interactive. Telnet is not a good way to go however, especially
over a cable modem as it is trivial to sniff other traffic. 
Wiretapped Australia reported a number of other security issues with
Optus@home.

Use ssh so when other users on your subnet hijack your session, they
will only get encrypted data and not your passwords.

Better still, generate the keys on a standalone Linux/*BSD box and
get your ISP to install them via floppy.

If you still think the risk is OK, run a find command agaist a large
filesystem in the background while you gen your keys on the server.

Hope this helps

Regards

-- 
=========================================================
Gambling: A discretionary tax on  | Anthony David
those who were asleep during high | Systems Administrator
school mathematics classes        |

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