| PackageDescription | daemon to use a Hardware RNG (classic version)
The rngd daemon acts as a bridge between a Hardware RNG (random
number generator), such as the ones in some Intel/AMD/VIA chipsets,
and the kernel’s PRNG (pseudo-random number generator).
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It tests the data received from the HWRNG using the FIPS 140-2 (2002-10-10)
tests to verify that it is indeed random then feeds the random data to the
kernel entropy pool.
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This increases the bandwidth of the /dev/random device, from a source
that does not depend on outside activity. It may also improve the
quality (entropy) of the randomness of /dev/random.
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An HWRNG kernel module such as hw_random, or some other source of true
entropy that is accessible as a device or fifo, is required to use this
package. Securely tunneling entropy over the network and feeding it to
rngd is also possible.
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This is an unofficial version of rng-tools (as classically shipped by
Debian up to and including release 10 “buster”), version 2, extensively
modified to add multithreading and a lot of new functionality. However,
most users of newer or high-bandwidth HWRNGs might wish to install the
latest version of upstream rng-tools (packaged as rng-tools5) instead;
that package offers more performant support for those, even if it lacks
the new functionality from this version. |