Re: Patch: rework kernel random number subsystem

[Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

> The critical values for the statistical tests are set so that
> p=.0001, so there should be one false positive (the null hypothesis
> being that the data _are_ random) in 10,000 rekeyings.  In that case
> the right thing to do is simply to rekey -- though for a hardware
> generator that fails the test, the conservative thing to do, I
> believe, is to detach that particular random source, so that is the
> behavior I intend to leave in place in that case.

Conservative, but not necessarily conrrect.  Some systems stay up a
long time, and if working hardware RNG get auto-detached whenever a
1-in-10000 test trips, long-lived systems _will_ lose their RNGs.  I
think this is suboptimal.

Indeed, a hardware RNG that _didn't_ fail that test once in a while
would be suspect.

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