From: paul@fatmans.demon.co.uk
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 01:21:20 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Mousepad RNG's?
Message-ID: <844009092.10210.0@fatmans.demon.co.uk>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> I just downloaded a copy of the beta version of Datafellows
> Windows 3.1 SSH and it asked to move the mouse around to
> generate some randomness.  In reading Applied Crypto, it
> mentioned that there is no such thing as generating
> randomness from a personal computer unless something like
> a Geiger counter is used.  Is there any way to create a
> fairly random sample from the mouse? Should one use lots
> of jerky movements, or take ones time with it?

What applied crypto would have said was that one cannot generate 
randomness on a computer without reference to an external source, a 
mouse is as good as any, the real problem is generating random 
numbers using PRNGs (Pseudo random number generators) which are 
algorithms that produce statistically random data that may be 
predictable, in the words of John Von Neumann "Anyone who considers 
aritmetic methods of generating random numbers is in a state of sin"

In brief, a mouse output would be acceptable, just move the mouse any 
old way around the screen and the data will be random enough for your 
uses...

 

 

  Datacomms Technologies web authoring and data security
       Paul Bradley, Paul@fatmans.demon.co.uk
  Paul@crypto.uk.eu.org, Paul@cryptography.uk.eu.org    
       Http://www.cryptography.home.ml.org/
      Email for PGP public key, ID: 5BBFAEB1
     "Don`t forget to mount a scratch monkey"