Re: 2.4.18 /dev/random problem

Andreas Dilger (adilger@clusterfs.com)
Sat, 31 May 2003 16:29:34 -0600


On May 31, 2003 17:36 +0200, Philippe Amelant wrote:
> I have a compaq server with a little problem.
> cat /proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail is always 0
> so /dev/random block on all read.
>
> I have read some discussion about /dev/random on this list.
> and if I understand /dev/urandom rely on /dev/random for providing good
> randomness and /dev/random rely on server activity for it's entropy.
>
> But I don't understand why my disk activity doesn't refill the entropy
> counter. If I try to mount floppy I get some entropy but even updating
> locate db does not provide any entropy ? Should I activate something in
> disk driver ?

Maybe you only have disk drives attached via CCISS or other special
RAID controller, and you do not use keyboard or mouse? It might be
that the RAID controller is not contributing to the entopy pool.

Cheers, Andreas

--
Andreas Dilger
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2resize/
http://www-mddsp.enel.ucalgary.ca/People/adilger/

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