Re: [patch #6797] shred option to use internal RNG

[Jim Meyering]

Pádraig Brady wrote:
> Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
>> Follow-up Comment #4, patch #6797 (project coreutils):
>>
>> Thanks for the suggestion, but I really don't understand the reluctance to
>> utilize the (already implemented) internal random number generator.  It's
>> there, it costs nothing extra to use it, it doesn't require extra programs
>> that generate random data, nor external files.  It's even the default case
>> when /dev/urandom does not exist.  What is the downside?
>
> None as far as I can see:
> No new options.

A new option to tell shred to use its internal PRNG
might make sense -- or maybe some special syntax for the
FILE in --random-source=FILE.
Though adding a new option sounds cleaner.

> Relatively small change to optionally seed from /dev/urandom (once is enough).

Just seed from the existing interface, according to defaults
or from the --random-source-specified file.