[Python-Dev] what platforms require RAND_add() before using SSL?

[Bill Janssen]

> > There are some functions in _ssl.c for gathering randomness from a
> > daemon, and adding that randomness to the pseudo-random number
> > generator in SSL, before using SSL.  There's a note there saying that
> > "on some platform" this is necessary.  Anyone know which platforms?
> 
> In general, anything that does not have /dev/[u]random;
> older Solaris releases and HP-UX in particular.

Thanks, I"ll add that to the documentation.  Any ideas what the values
of the "entropy" parameter to RAND_add() are like, or how they are
derived?  I did a rapid skim of RFC 1750, but didn't see it there.

Bill