Re: [gentoo-amd64] Kernel Cryptographic API

[Richard Freeman]

On 09/14/2010 12:17 PM, Frank Peters wrote:
> I wasn't sure if the Crypto API was purely for use within kernel space or
> if user space applications could have access to it in the same manner as with
> other kernel system routines.  But I guess that the Crypto API is just for
> the use of the kernel.

The API will be built automatically if you enable any settings that
require it.  The only reason to explicitly build it is if you plan on
loading kernel modules built from a different source tree that use the
API.  In that case, you'll end up with missing symbols if you don't
explicitly build the Crypto API (or also provide that via a module).

Maybe if you had some kind of proprietary disk/LAN/etc-encryption
hardware that supplied a closed-source module you might have need of this.

If you used another distro where modules tended to come pre-packaged
that could also be a concern.

Since virtually all the modules on Gentoo are provided by the users
themselves there isn't much of a need for this.

Rich