Programming Praxis

We discussed an algorithm due to Lenore Blum, Manuel Blum and Michael Shub that generates cryptographically-secure random numbers in a previous exercise. A better way to generate these random numbers uses an actual hardware source of entropy, such as thermal noise.

I recently learned that all models of the Raspberry Pi computer include a hardware random number generator on their system-on-a-chip; Stewart Russell gives instructions.

If instead of a Raspberry Pi you have a computer based on the Intel Ivy Bridge family of processors, a hardware random number generator is available as rdrand; Linux exposes that as the /dev/random device.

Your task is to explore the hardware random number generators that are available to you; you might want to write a program to generate keypads for the Diana Cryptosystem. When you are finished, you are welcome to read or run a suggested solution, or to post your own solution or discuss the exercise in the comments below.

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