oracular (3) Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo.3pm.gz

Provided by: libdata-entropy-perl_0.007-4_all bug

NAME
       Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo - download entropy from randomnumbers.info


SYNOPSIS
               use Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo;

               my $rawsrc = Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo->new;

               $c = $rawsrc->getc;
               # and the rest of the I/O handle interface


DESCRIPTION
       This class provides an I/O handle connected to a stream of random octets being generated by a quantum
       random number generator (from the company id Quantique) connected to the randomnumbers.info server at the
       University of Geneva.  This is a strong source of random bits, but is not suitable for security
       applications because the bits are passed over the Internet unencrypted.  The handle implements a
       substantial subset of the interface described in IO::Handle.

       For use as a general entropy source, it is recommended to wrap an object of this class using
       "Data::Entropy::Source", which provides methods to extract entropy in more convenient forms than mere
       octets.

       The bits generated at randomnumbers.info are, theoretically and as far as anyone can tell, totally
       unbiased and uncorrelated.  However, they are sent over the Internet in the clear, and so are subject to
       interception and alteration by an adversary.  This is therefore generally unsuitable for security
       applications.  Applications requiring secret entropy should generate it locally (see
       Data::Entropy::RawSource::Local).  Applications requiring a large amount of apparently-random data, but
       not true entropy, might prefer to fake it cryptographically (see Data::Entropy::RawSource::CryptCounter).


CONSTRUCTOR
       Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo->new
           Creates and returns a handle object referring to a stream of random octets generated by
           randomnumbers.info.


METHODS
       A subset of the interfaces described in IO::Handle and IO::Seekable are provided:

       $rawsrc->read(BUFFER, LENGTH[, OFFSET])
       $rawsrc->getc
       $rawsrc->ungetc(ORD)
       $rawsrc->eof
           Buffered reading from the source, as in IO::Handle.

       $rawsrc->sysread(BUFFER, LENGTH[, OFFSET])
           Unbuffered reading from the source, as in IO::Handle.

       $rawsrc->close
           Does nothing.

       $rawsrc->opened
           Retruns true to indicate that the source is available for I/O.

       $rawsrc->clearerr
       $rawsrc->error
           Error handling, as in IO::Handle.

       The buffered ("read" et al) and unbuffered ("sysread" et al) sets of methods are interchangeable, because
       no such distinction is made by this class.

       Methods to write to the file are unimplemented because the stream is fundamentally read-only.  Methods to
       seek are unimplemented because the stream is non-rewindable; "ungetc" works, however.


SEE ALSO
       Data::Entropy::RawSource::CryptCounter, Data::Entropy::RawSource::Local,
       Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg, Data::Entropy::Source, <http://www.randomnumbers.info>


AUTHOR
       Andrew Main (Zefram) <zefram@fysh.org>


       Copyright (C) 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 Andrew Main (Zefram) <zefram@fysh.org>


LICENSE
       This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl
       itself.