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  • From: Kevin Sonney <alchemist AT darkcanvas.com>
  • To: internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] more crypto/security
  • Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 07:33:51 -0400

On Thu, Aug 15, 2002 at 01:16:30AM -0400, Thomas Beckett spoke thusly:
> One question for starters: to generate a new key, GPG needs a
> string of random numbers, right? Can a Wintel machine generate a reliably
> random number?

In order to get reliably random numbers in wintel, typically a source
of entropy is needed. I'm not sure how GPG does it, but with PGP you
used to be asked to bang on the keyboard while it was generating.

I'm guessing that GPG uses some other entropy gathering method,
though. I expect it's do-able, but would require some interesting hacks.

--
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-- Kevin Sonney --
-- ICQ: 4855069 AIM: ksonney --
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You want it in one line? Does it have to fit in 80 columns? -- Larry
Wall

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