ssh2 protocol). Performing a DSA signature (which is required for
authentication), entails the use of a 160 bit random number. If an
attacker can predict this number, then they can deduce your *private*
-key and impersonate you.
+key and impersonate you or your hosts.
If you are using the builtin random number support (configure will
-tell you if this is the case), then read this document in its entirety
-and consider disabling ssh2 support (by adding "Protocol 1" to
-sshd_config and ssh_config).
+tell you if this is the case), then read this document in its entirety.
+Alternately, you can use Lutz Jaenicke's PRNGd - a small daemon which
+collects random numbers and makes them available by a socket.
Please also request that your OS vendor provides a kernel-based random
number collector (/dev/random) in future versions of your operating
-systems.
+systems by default.
On to the description...
The random number code will also read and save a seed file to
~/.ssh/prng_seed. This contents of this file are added to the random
-number generator at startup.
+number generator at startup. The goal here is to maintain as much
+randomness between sessions as possible.
-This approach presents two problems:
+The entropy collection code has two main problems:
1. It is slow.
To make matters even more complex, some of the commands are reporting
largely the same data as other commands (eg. the various "ps" calls).
+$Id$
+