TuskenTower on 9 Apr 2009 05:59:40 -0700


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Re: [PLUG] GPG + Debian 5 exceeding entropy while generating keys


On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 7:59 AM, sean finney <seanius@seanius.net> wrote:
> hiya,
>
> On Wed, Apr 08, 2009 at 04:30:11PM -0400, TuskenTower wrote:
>> The server is a Debian 5 (lenny) OS on an HP ProLiant ML115 G1 with
>> Opterons.  Is this a common issue and would installing an entropy daemon
>> like EGD help?
>
> i had this happen to me the other day on a virtual server.  i don't know
> why lenny gets this problem but if this is a one time thing (i.e. you're
> not generating keys from cron or otherwise regularly/uaotmatically), you
> can create some ad-hoc entropy to help push it along.
>
> i find an easy way to create entropy is a pingflood (ping -f) to the host, as
> the traffic + interrupts seems to fill the pool pretty quickly.  my last
> experience with egd was many years ago, and it was slow and crappy and we only
> did it because it was on an old sun system that was missing a real /dev/random
> or something similarly wierd.
>
>
>        sean
>
Sean
Thanks for the ping flood tip.  I'll try that.

Unfortunately this is not a one time thing.  We have an automated test
system and each test (mostly standalone) that needs a key generates
one a least once a week.  Since the GPG use is under active
development, the tests are run more often.

Amul
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