New "Jitter Entropy" RNG Proposed For Linux

[brunogm0]

No, you are not wrong. This proposal collects entropy from hardware.

Well, this lokks like the HAVAGE project. http://www.irisa.fr/caps/projects/hipsor/index.php

[LightBit]

I was under the impression that true random number generators couldn't be implemented in software due to computers being 100% deterministic, was I wrong?

No, you are not wrong. This proposal collects entropy from hardware.

[Kristian Joensen]

Entropy is something that is unpredictable, hard to guess.
PRNGs are algorithms that need to be seeded (keyed) with some entropy before they can output anything. Simple example of PRNG: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC4
(T)RNGs get entropy from physical properties, like thermal noise, nuclear decay or in this case CPU timing jitter.
(T)RNG is usually used to seed PRNG.
Both types output statistical random data.

I was under the impression that true random number generators couldn't be implemented in software due to computers being 100% deterministic, was I wrong?

[LightBit]

Entropy is something that is unpredictable, hard to guess.
PRNGs are algorithms that need to be seeded (keyed) with some entropy before they can output anything. Simple example of PRNG: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC4
(T)RNGs get entropy from physical properties, like thermal noise, nuclear decay or in this case CPU timing jitter.
(T)RNG is usually used to seed PRNG.
Both types output statistical random data.

[przemoli]

More entropy the better when you really want Random numbers.

[Kristian Joensen]

A PRNG doesn't actually provide entropy.

For someone less technically inclined. What does this mean? What is entropy in this context and how does it differ from what a PRNG does? How does the proposed solution fix/handle that? Isn't what is being proposed here a PRNG, just a different one?

[RealNC]

A PRNG doesn't actually provide entropy.

Are you sure?

[LightBit]

Doesn't all new CPUs come with a built-in hardware (P)RNG?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RdRand (uses RNG to seed PRNG)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardwar...or#Clock_drift (VIA C3)

[Ex-Cyber]

Doesn't all new CPUs come with a built-in hardware (P)RNG?

A PRNG doesn't actually provide entropy.

[uid313]

Hardware RNG

Doesn't all new CPUs come with a built-in hardware (P)RNG?