1Random(3)             User Contributed Perl Documentation            Random(3)
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NAME

6       Crypt::OpenSSL::RSA - RSA encoding and decoding, using the openSSL
7       libraries
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9       Crypt::OpenSSL::Random - Routines for accessing the OpenSSL
10       pseudo-random number generator
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SYNOPSIS

13         use Crypt::OpenSSL::Random;
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15         Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_seed($good_random_data);
16         Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_egd("/tmp/entropy");
17         Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_status() or
18           die "Unable to sufficiently seed the random number generator".
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20         my $ten_good_random_bytes = Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_bytes(10);
21         my $ten_ok_random_bytes = Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_pseudo_bytes(10);
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DESCRIPTION

24       Crypt::OpenSSL::Random provides the ability to seed and query the
25       OpenSSL library's pseudo-random number generator
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27   EXPORT
28       None by default.
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Static Methods

31       random_bytes
32           This function, returns a specified number of cryptographically
33           strong pseudo-random bytes from the PRNG.  If the PRNG has not been
34           seeded with enough randomness to ensure an unpredictable byte
35           sequence, then a false value is returned.
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37       random_pseudo_bytes
38           This function, is similar to c<random_bytes>, but the resulting
39           sequence of bytes are not necessarily unpredictable.  They can be
40           used for non-cryptographic purposes and for certain purposes in
41           cryptographic protocols, but usually not for key generation etc.
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43       random_seed
44           This function seeds the PRNG with a supplied string of bytes.  It
45           returns true if the PRNG has sufficient seeding.  Note: calling
46           this function with non-random bytes is of limited value at best!
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48       random_egd
49           This function seeds the PRNG with data from the specified entropy
50           gathering daemon.  Returns the number of bytes read from the daemon
51           on succes, or -1 if not enough bytes were read, or if the
52           connection to the daemon failed.
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54       random_status
55           This function returns true if the PRNG has sufficient seeding.
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BUGS

58       Because of the internal workings of OpenSSL's random library, the
59       pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) accessed by
60       Crypt::OpenSSL::Random will be different than the one accessed by any
61       other perl module.  Hence, to use a module such as
62       Crypt::OpenSSL::Random, you will need to seed the PRNG used there from
63       one used here.  This class is still advantageous, however, as it
64       centralizes other methods, such as random_egd, in one place.
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AUTHOR

67       Ian Robertson, iroberts@cpan.com
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SEE ALSO

70       perl(1), rand(3), RAND_add(3), RAND_egd(3), RAND_bytes(3).
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POD ERRORS

73       Hey! The above document had some coding errors, which are explained
74       below:
75
76       Around line 62:
77           '=item' outside of any '=over'
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79       Around line 93:
80           You forgot a '=back' before '=head1'
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84perl v5.10.1                      2007-05-20                         Random(3)