From: David Lesher <wb8foz@nrk.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 95 15:42:33 PDT
To: patrick@Verity.COM (Patrick Horgan)
Subject: Re: "random" number seeds vs. Netscape
In-Reply-To: <9509221532.AA19315@cantina.verity.com>
Message-ID: <199509232229.SAA00612@nrk.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


As a hardware type, I'd prefer a diode noise generator over a
radioactivity detector. I'd hate for the Fort to be tempted to fudge the
latter's output by flooding my house from a black helicopter...

But lacking same....

Can you take the time between two effectively async events, and use the
low order bits of same?

For example, time between a netverk pack arriving and the next tick of
the TOD clock? And/or the system's disk IO or such? 

Or: Choose a site at random. Ping it. Use low order bits of that time
with something above.

I'm sure most such schemes are not usable. But all it takes is one...

-- 
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433