Re: rnd entropy estimate running low?

[Thor Lancelot Simon <tls%panix.com@localhost>]

On Tue, Jan 31, 2017 at 05:16:33PM +0100, Havard Eidnes wrote:
> >> Meanwhile the hardware random generator sits there unused.
> >
> > Does it sit there completely unused, or did it get used a little at
> > boot time?
> 
> It generated some bits at boot time, but apparently not early
> enough, because on each reboot the kernel log looks like this:

It looks like nothing's actually calling for bits except the start-up
statistical test (which itself creates demand) before the hardware RNG
attaches, so there shouldn't be a practical problem.  The question is,
could the hardware RNG attach earlier or the statistical test happen
later -- or doesn't it matter?

The statistical failures later in system run might indicate a memory
integrity issue, a race condition of some kind, or just be the expected
roughly 3/10000 random occurrences.  Hard to say without more information.

Thor