[issue26839] Python 3.5 running on Linux kernel 3.17+ can block at startup or on importing the random module on getrandom()

[Colm Buckley]

Colm Buckley added the comment:

I have no objection to *deliberate* invocations of the system RNG blocking if needed. Presumably this behavior can be codified into the various APIs.

My objection is *entirely* to _PyRandom_Init() calling a potentially-blocking RNG source, before script parsing even begins. This basically prohibits Python from starting on systems where the system RNG is blocking. Linux is the only affected system *now* because the systemd crontab generator is the only Python script called before the RNG has initialized. Exactly the same issue would apply to any of the BSDs or Solaris, if /dev/urandom blocks as you describe. I want to be clear - this is not a Linux-specific issue.

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue26839>
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