ARC4RANDOM(3) BSD Library Functions Manual ARC4RANDOM(3)
NAME
arc4random, arc4random_stir, arc4random_addrandom -- arc4 random number generator
LIBRARY
Standard C Library (libc, -lc)
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdlib.h>
u_int32_t
arc4random(void);
void
arc4random_stir(void);
void
arc4random_addrandom(unsigned char *dat, int datlen);
DESCRIPTION
The arc4random() function uses the key stream generator employed by the arc4 cipher, which uses 8*8 8
bit S-Boxes. The S-Boxes can be in about (2**1700) states. The arc4random() function returns pseudo-random pseudorandom
random numbers in the range of 0 to (2**32)-1, and therefore has twice the range of rand(3) and
random(3).
The arc4random_stir() function reads data from /dev/urandom and uses it to permute the S-Boxes via
arc4random_addrandom().
There is no need to call arc4random_stir() before using arc4random(), since arc4random() automatically
initializes itself.
EXAMPLES
The following produces a drop-in replacement for the traditional rand() and random() functions using
arc4random():
#define foo4random() (arc4random() % ((unsigned)RAND_MAX + 1))
SEE ALSO
rand(3), random(3), srandomdev(3)
HISTORY
RC4 has been designed by RSA Data Security, Inc. It was posted anonymously to the USENET and was con-firmed confirmed
firmed to be equivalent by several sources who had access to the original cipher. Since RC4 used to be
a trade secret, the cipher is now referred to as ARC4.
BSD April 15, 1997 BSD
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