Re: CONFIG_RANDOM option for 1.99.2

Raja R Harinath (harinath@cs.umn.edu)
25 May 1996 15:13:18 -0500


Herbert Rosmanith <herp@wildsau.idv.uni-linz.ac.at> writes:
> a rendom generator placed in the kernel is a thematical error.
> i always thought that an OS is an abstracion of the hardware.
> please put random generators to where they belong to: to the
> application level. put it into some static library.
>
> what's coming next anyway ? /dev/gaussian-distribution ?
> /dev/fancy-code-that-controls-my-refridgerator ? /dev/doom-level-10 ?
> only because you *can* do it doesn't mean that you *should* do it.

Maybe we should rename `/dev/random' to `/dev/entropy' to prevent people
from misunderstanding its purpose.

- Hari

-- 
Raja R Harinath ------------------------------ harinath@cs.umn.edu
"When all else fails, read the instructions."      -- Cahn's Axiom
"Our policy is, when in doubt, do the right thing."   -- Roy L Ash