Bug 398

Summary: OpenSSL build mech. doesn't acknowledge /dev/random in Solaris
Product: Portable OpenSSH Reporter: garretta
Component: Build systemAssignee: OpenSSH Bugzilla mailing list <openssh-bugs>
Status: CLOSED INVALID    
Severity: normal    
Priority: P3    
Version: -current   
Hardware: SPARC   
OS: Solaris   
URL: http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/findPatch.pl?patchId=112438&rev=01

Description garretta 2002-09-18 00:43:47 AEST 
Configure source.
Summary says "using internal random # generator"
Sun has created a patch for Solaris8 that provides a PRNG /dev/random (I
understand Solaris9 comes with PRNG by default).

Solaris8:
http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/findPatch.pl?patchId=112438&rev=01

It would seem OpenSSH would be more scalable in Enterprise environment if could
use native PRNG device instead of "internal pseudo-random device".  

Note -- I don't know the technical details of this ... and ... I'm sure there's
a great explanation for why latest Openssh uses internal device.

Just an FYI ... -GA
Comment 1 Ben Lindstrom 2002-09-18 01:02:40 AEST 
Please recompile OpenSSL to understand where your /dev/random device is.
Comment 2 Darren Tucker 2002-09-18 01:23:45 AEST 
When configure says "Random number source: OpenSSL internal ONLY" it means that 
it's using /dev/urandom.  "Random number source: ssh-rand-helper" is the 
external entropy collector.

Regardless, the openssl libraries will use /dev/urandom if it exists.  (You may 
need to recompile openssl, but I don't think so).  From openssl's e_os.h (typo 
and all :-) :

#ifndef DEVRANDOM
/* set this to your 'random' device if you have one.
 * My default, we will try to read this file */
#define DEVRANDOM "/dev/urandom"
#endif

For maximum portability, when building packages I use "./configure 
--with-rand-helper".  That way /dev/urandom will be used if it exists, but if it 
doesn't then the random helper will be used.  This lets us use the same binaries 
on machines with and without the /dev/random patch.
Comment 3 Damien Miller 2004-04-14 12:24:18 AEST 
Mass change of RESOLVED bugs to CLOSED