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Diffstat (limited to 'system/haveged/README')
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diff --git a/system/haveged/README b/system/haveged/README new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..dee52968a6 --- /dev/null +++ b/system/haveged/README @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@ +haveged (a simple entropy-gathering daemon) + +The haveged project is an attempt to provide an easy-to-use, unpredictable +random number generator based upon an adaptation of the HAVEGE algorithm. +Haveged was created to remedy low-entropy conditions in the Linux random device +that can occur under some workloads, especially on headless servers. + +The HAVEGE algorithm is based upon the indirect effects of unrelated hardware +events on the instruction timing of a calculation that is sensitive to processor +features such as branch predictors and instruction/data access mechanisms. +Samples from a high-resolution timer are input into the algorithm to +produce a stream of random data in a collection buffer. The contents of this +buffer can be fed into the random device or accessed directly through the file +system. File system access is a useful alternative to those situations where +use of the random device is either inappropriate or not available. + +Add the following snippet to your /etc/rc.d/rc.M to start up haveged at boot: + +# Starting HAVEGED entropy daemon +if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.haveged ]; then + /etc/rc.d/rc.haveged start +fi + +You can see how many bits of entropy are available to the system by reading the +/proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail file, and check the size of your entropy +pool at /proc/sys/kernel/random/poolsize. |