svn commit: r239569 - head/etc/rc.d

[Mark Murray]

RW writes:
> So far no one has come up with a single cogent argument for
> compression. If you replace compression with hashing then the need
> modifying the kernel code is eliminated.

Compression reduces file size without losing entropy; in fact it serves
as an entropy concentrator. That said, I agree that its output is still
not small enough and its speed is unacceptable.

As for modifying kernel code,

$ cat /dev/zero > /dev/random

... can swamp entropy harvesting. Its an obvious attack and easily
spotted/thwarted, but I'd like to defend against it; the current code is
a bit too naive.

M
--
Mark R V Murray
Cert APS(Open) Dip Phys(Open) BSc Open(Open) BSc(Hons)(Open)
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