Our subject here is random numbers, and how to generate them. And to be honest, we wouldn’t blame you if you think that sounds as enthralling as watching paint dry.
What’s more, if we were to quote the definition “a random number is a number chosen as if by chance from some specified distribution such that selection of a large set of these numbers reproduces the underlying distribution” – whatever that means – we fear that might reinforce your view. We have to admit, though, that we presented that particular mathematics definition just to be mischievous, and we promise to do our very best to keep you entertained.
The fact is that generating random numbers isn’t as straightforward as we might hope or expect. In this article we’ll delve into a wide range of technologies which, you might be relieved to hear, aren’t all concerned with virtually impenetrable maths.
If you want to learn when a random number isn’t a random number, what an entropy pool is and why Linux maintains one, how some Intel processors can generate true random numbers using special hardware, or why we should be interested in random numbers in the first place? In that case, just read on. But if you think this expose
