readme.1st

This package contains the "noise" system driver for use on DOS machines.
It collects random data that can be used by cryptographic programs.
These include programs claiming to make secure connections over
the internet (e.g., browsers or file retrievers using the https://
protocol). Noise is generally installed from config.sys, but see the
"pat" directory in the source distribution for information about how to
load it from the command line.

This program was written by Robert Rothenburg Walking-Owl and by
Colin Plumb. The program has not been developed since 1996 and the
authors no longer work with the DOS system. They have kindly agreed
to re-release the code under a liberal BSD-type license, but are not
planning any further development of the code. The code is now available
for improvement and modification should anyone else have the interest
and skill. Please don't send suggestions for improvement to the original
authors, since they are not going to implement modifications. Their
email addresses in the documentation are probably no longer valid. As of
January 2005, I have been appointed the maintainer of the noise program.
Please send any suggestions to me at "dkaufman@rahul.net".

When installed, the noise program creates two character devices, RANDOM$
and URANDOM$ (also accessible as /dev/random$ and /dev/urandom$).
Reading from these devices should give "random" data. Any programs which
wish to use that data will need to be configured to read from those
devices. Starting in January 2005, the OpenSSL code will try to read
from /dev/urandom$ in DJGPP implementations. Hence, programs compiled
with OpenSSL for DJGPP (such as lynx and wget) will be able to get
random data when noise is installed, thus potentially increasing the
security of connections made with those programs.

If you are planning to run DJGPP programs that perform encryption, I
would suggest installing "noise", to ensure the availability of adequate
entropy for the necessary cryptography.

There are two binaries included, noise386.sys and noise586.sys. The
noise586.sys program has code included which requires a pentium machine.
For 386 and 486 machines, please use the noise386.sys program instead.
The two noise binaries and the sample.exe program have been assembled
and compiled by me.

The text files included in this package come from the 1996 release, and
have not been changed except for the change in the license status of
noise. The original version of noise is still available on the internet
at: "http://www.funet.fi/pub/crypt/random/noise063.zip"

Doug Kaufman (dkaufman@rahul.net)
January 2005