VIA on-chip RNG and crypto...

[Jeff Garzik]

VIA has publicly posted the docs for the 'xstore' and 'xcrypt' 
instructions in their processors:

	http://www.via.com.tw/en/viac3/c3.jsp

(grab "VIA Padlock {ACE|RNG} Programming Guide" down at the bottom)

'xstore' is an instruction that any program may use, to obtain entropy 
from the on-chip hardware source (RNG).  The in-kernel hw_random driver 
already supports this (though this support will be moved to the 
userspace rngd soon).  'xcrypt' provides on-chip AES encrypt and 
decrypt, similarly useable by any program.

They have also supported open source by providing docs and occasionally 
hardware to myself, Dave Jones, Alan, and others.  So, while it might 
appear this is a shameless plug :) I just really like the technology, 
and am never shy about promoting good hardware designs, and vendors that 
work with the open source community.

	Jeff



P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, neither VIA nor my employer 
prompted me to write this.


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