From: Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 94 21:03:31 PDT
To: nelson@crynwr.com
Subject: Re: Random #'s via serial port dongle?
In-Reply-To: <m0pwxLM-000IDpC@crynwr>
Message-ID: <199404300403.VAA19733@servo.qualcomm.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


The easiest way to get true random numbers on a PC nowadays is
with a sound board, preferably 16 bit. Just MD-5 hash some gibberish
speech and/or background noise.

I am looking at various ways of generating good random numbers for my
IP security protocol, so I'm thinking about this stuff. Unfortunately
I can't always depend on there being a sound board, so I'm still open
to other ideas. Recently I tried looking at phase jitter between the
CPU and timer crystals, but this doesn't work on every machine.
Timing keyboard hits is a tried-and-true technique in PGP, but I can't
necessarily rely on that either (I want this to work in a standalone
system that boots by itself). Suggestions would be appreciated.

Phil