Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: Grant <emailgrant@×××××.com>
To: Gentoo mailing list <gentoo-user@l.g.o>
Subject: [gentoo-user] Random number generation
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 00:44:17
Message-Id: 49bf44f10612091637t74d1eaefs680247c8da8046d1@mail.gmail.com
1 apache2 is taking a long time "generating secret for digest
2 authentication". Bryan suggested the following fixes a little while
3 back:
4
5 1. Use a hardware RNG (random number generator), some chipsets provide
6 that but you need to enable support in the kernel.
7 2. emerge apr with USE=urandom. This makes apr use /dev/urandom
8 instead of /dev/random. urandom isn't as strong cryptographically
9 speaking as random but might be good enough for your use.
10 3. Disable digest authentication in the apache configuration.
11 4. Use some entropy gathering daemon like sys-apps/clrngd,
12 media-sound/sound-entropyd or media-video/video-entropyd.
13
14 I emerged and started clrngd and it seems to work nicely. I'd rather
15 use a hardware RNG if I have one. Where in the kernel should I find
16 RNG support? Are #1 followed by #4 the preferred options?
17
18 - Grant
19 --
20 gentoo-user@g.o mailing list

Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-user] Random number generation Petr Uzel <petr.uzel@×××××××.cz>