Commit 0b227076 authored by Stephen Kitt's avatar Stephen Kitt Committed by Jonathan Corbet
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docs: sysctl/kernel: document random



This documents the random directory, based on the behaviour seen in
drivers/char/random.c.

Signed-off-by: default avatarStephen Kitt <steve@sk2.org>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20200623112514.10650-1-steve@sk2.org


Signed-off-by: default avatarJonathan Corbet <corbet@lwn.net>
parent 48d4b96c
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@@ -996,6 +996,38 @@ pty
See Documentation/filesystems/devpts.rst.


random
======

This is a directory, with the following entries:

* ``boot_id``: a UUID generated the first time this is retrieved, and
  unvarying after that;

* ``entropy_avail``: the pool's entropy count, in bits;

* ``poolsize``: the entropy pool size, in bits;

* ``urandom_min_reseed_secs``: obsolete (used to determine the minimum
  number of seconds between urandom pool reseeding).

* ``uuid``: a UUID generated every time this is retrieved (this can
  thus be used to generate UUIDs at will);

* ``write_wakeup_threshold``: when the entropy count drops below this
  (as a number of bits), processes waiting to write to ``/dev/random``
  are woken up.

If ``drivers/char/random.c`` is built with ``ADD_INTERRUPT_BENCH``
defined, these additional entries are present:

* ``add_interrupt_avg_cycles``: the average number of cycles between
  interrupts used to feed the pool;

* ``add_interrupt_avg_deviation``: the standard deviation seen on the
  number of cycles between interrupts used to feed the pool.


randomize_va_space
==================