rand(3)'s standard C API is extremely limiting, but we can do better
than the historical 32-bit state Park-Miller LCG we've shipped since
2001: r73156.
The justification provided at the time for not using random(3) was that
rand_r(3) could not be made to use the same algorithm. That is still
true. However, the irrelevance of rand_r(3) is increasingly obvious.
Since that time, POSIX has marked the interface obsolescent. rand_r(3)
never became part of the standard C library. If not for API
compatibility reasons, I would just remove rand_r(3) entirely.
So, I do not believe it is a problem for rand_r(3) and rand(3) to
diverge.
The 12 ABI is maintained with compatibility definitions, but this
revision does subtly change the API of rand(3). The sequences of
pseudorandom numbers produced in programs built against new versions of
libc will differ from programs built against prior versions of libc.
Reviewed by: kevans, markm
MFC after: no
Relnotes: yes
Differential Revision: https://reviews.freebsd.org/D23290
It serves no useful purpose and wasn't as popular as its equally meritless
cousin, srandomdev(3).
Setting aside the problems with rand(3) in general, the problem with this
interface is that the seed isn't shared with the caller (other than by
attacking the output of the generator, which is trivial, but not a hallmark of
pleasant API design). The (arguable) utility of rand(3) or random(3) is as a
semi-fast simulation generator which produces consistent results from a given
seed. These are mutually at odd. Furthermore, sometimes people got the
mistaken impression that a high quality random seed meant a weak generator like
rand(3) or random(3) could be used for things like cryptographic key
generation. This is absolutely not so.
The API was never part of a standard and was not widely used in tree. Existing
in-tree uses have all been removed.
Possible replacement in out of tree codebases:
char buf[3];
time_t t;
time(t);
strftime(buf, sizeof(buf), "%S", gmtime(&t));
srand(atoi(buf));
Relnotes: yes
seed, the random number generator rand(3) still sucks and is unlikely
sufficient for crypto use. Correct what appears to be a cut and paste
error from the srandomdev() man page.
Submitted by: Ben Mesander
track.
The $Id$ line is normally at the bottom of the main comment block in the
man page, separated from the rest of the manpage by an empty comment,
like so;
.\" $Id$
.\"
If the immediately preceding comment is a @(#) format ID marker than the
the $Id$ will line up underneath it with no intervening blank lines.
Otherwise, an additional blank line is inserted.
Approved by: bde
