Crypt::OpenSSL::Random

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



NAME
       Crypt::OpenSSL::RSA - RSA encoding and decoding, using the openSSL
       libraries

       Crypt::OpenSSL::Random - Routines for accessing the OpenSSL
       pseudo-random number generator

SYNOPSIS
	 use Crypt::OpenSSL::Random;

	 Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_seed($good_random_data);
	 Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_egd("/tmp/entropy");
	 Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_status() or
	   die "Unable to sufficiently seed the random number generator".

	 my $ten_good_random_bytes = Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_bytes(10);
	 my $ten_ok_random_bytes = Crypt::OpenSSL::Random::random_pseudo_bytes(10);

DESCRIPTION
       Crypt::OpenSSL::Random provides the ability to seed and query the
       OpenSSL library’s pseudo-random number generator

       EXPORT

       None by default.

Static Methods
random_bytes
This function, returns a specified number of cryptographically strong pseudo-
random bytes from the PRNG.  If the PRNG has not been seeded with enough ran-
domness to ensure an unpredictable byte sequence, then a false value is
returned.

random_pseudo_bytes
This function, is similar to c<random_bytes>, but the resulting sequence of
bytes are not necessarily unpredictable.  They can be used for non-crypto-
graphic purposes and for certain purposes in cryptographic protocols, but
usually not for key generation etc.

random_seed
This function seeds the PRNG with a supplied string of bytes.  It returns
true if the PRNG has sufficient seeding.  Note: calling this function with
non-random bytes is of limited value at best!

random_egd
This function seeds the PRNG with data from the specified entropy gathering
daemon.	 Returns the number of bytes read from the daemon on succes, or -1 if
not enough bytes were read, or if the connection to the daemon failed.

random_status
This function returns true if the PRNG has sufficient seeding.

BUGS
       Because of the internal workings of OpenSSL’s random library, the
       pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) accessed by Crypt::OpenSSL::Ran-
       dom will be different than the one accessed by any other perl module.
       Hence, to use a module such as Crypt::OpenSSL::Random, you will need
       to seed the PRNG used there from one used here.	This class is still
       advantageous, however, as it centralizes other methods, such as ran-
       dom_egd, in one place.

AUTHOR
       Ian Robertson, iroberts@cpan.com

SEE ALSO
       perl(1), rand(3), RAND_add(3), RAND_egd(3), RAND_bytes(3).



perl v5.8.8			  2007-05-20			    Random(3)