[Python-ideas] Python's Source of Randomness and the random.py module Redux

Alexander Walters tritium-list at sdamon.com
Thu Sep 10 11:20:48 CEST 2015


Can I just ask what is the actual problem we are trying to solve here?

Python has third party cryptography modules, that bring their own 
sources of randomness (or cryptography libraries that do the same).

Python has a good random library for everything other than cryptography.

Why in the heck are we trying to make the random module do something 
that it is already documented as being a poor choice, where there is 
already third party modules that do just this?

Who needs cryptographic randomness in the standard library anyways (even 
though one line of code give you access to it)?  Have we identified even 
ONE person who does cryptography in python who is kicking themselves 
that they cant use the random module as implemented?

Is this just indulging a paranoid developer?


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