From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1756058AbXFYEno (ORCPT ); Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:43:44 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1753299AbXFYEng (ORCPT ); Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:43:36 -0400 Received: from pentafluge.infradead.org ([213.146.154.40]:55583 "EHLO pentafluge.infradead.org" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1750923AbXFYEng (ORCPT ); Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:43:36 -0400 Subject: Re: [PATCH] get_random_long() and AT_ENTROPY for auxv, kernel 2.6.21.5 From: Arjan van de Ven To: Matt Mackall Cc: Alexander Gabert , linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, torvalds@linux-foundation.org, libc-alpha@sourceware.org, hardened@gentoo.org In-Reply-To: <20070625034508.GE11115@waste.org> References: <4675C678.3080807@gentoo.org> <1182128803.22999.9.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> <20070620203022.GO11166@waste.org> <467EADA0.9020101@gentoo.org> <20070625034508.GE11115@waste.org> Content-Type: text/plain Organization: Intel International BV Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 21:43:03 -0700 Message-Id: <1182746583.26621.5.camel@laptopd505.fenrus.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Evolution 2.10.2 (2.10.2-2.fc7) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-SRS-Rewrite: SMTP reverse-path rewritten from by pentafluge.infradead.org See http://www.infradead.org/rpr.html Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Sun, 2007-06-24 at 22:45 -0500, Matt Mackall wrote: > On Sun, Jun 24, 2007 at 07:45:04PM +0200, Alexander Gabert wrote: > > Hi Linus, > > hi LKML, > > > > i would like to thank LKML and especially Eric (thanks for the per_cpu > > macro tips and design guidelines!) and the other contributors to this idea. > > > > This time the patch is rather big because it also removes > > get_random_int() and introduces get_random_long() throughout the kernel. > > Stop right there. You still haven't answered my original question. > What is the point of this exercise in the first place, please? > > Am I right in thinking you have three unrelated patches here? > > - something to do with aux vector headers the primary goal is to pass a random value to userspace at process start; this to save glibc from having to open /dev/urandom on ever program start (which it does now for all apps compiled with -fstack-protector, which in various distros is "everything"). > - sweeping change of get_random_int to get_random_long for no obvious reason and this is because Alexander wants 2 and not 1 random int to be passed for his own glibc proposed change (combined with get_random_int() being designed for only 4 bytes per process ;-) -- if you want to mail me at work (you don't), use arjan (at) linux.intel.com Test the interaction between Linux and your BIOS via http://www.linuxfirmwarekit.org