[NTLUG:Discuss] Random number generator?

Greg Edwards greg at nas-inet.com
Thu Mar 6 08:40:12 CST 2003


Wayne Dahl wrote:
> When my Linux box boots up, during the startup, there is a message that
> says the Random number generator is initialized.  What is that for and
> what does it do?
> 
> Wayne
> 

A random number generator is not really random, it just seems that way. 
  When your system shuts down it save the current seed value so that 
when it restarts it can restart in the same iteration of numbers being 
generated.  If this value wasn't save and reused as the seed then every 
time you start your system the random numbers would be the same.

Actually there is an entire branch of the mathmatical/computer science 
profession dedicated to creating random number algorithms.  It can be 
pretty interesting stuff.

-- 
Greg Edwards
New Age Software, Inc. - http://www.nas-inet.com
======================================================
Galactic Outlaw        - http://goutlaw.nas-inet.com
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