EntropyKey - miniature Windows driver...?

[Rob Kendrick]

On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:29:45 +0100
Nick Pelling <nickpelling at nanodome.com> wrote:

> Are there any plans for a Windows driver for the EntropyKey?

We'd like to, but there are issues.  Mainly that we cannot identify any
way of providing entropy to Windows in a way where applications can
automatically take advantage of it.  You can implement a new entropy
provider, but applications still have to ask for it specifically.

<snip>

> Even without going to the trouble of replacing RtlGenRandom / 
> CryptGenRandom, a replacement rand() library call that grabs
> EntropyKey bits would be a big win for a lot of programmes. :-)

Indeed; I suspect if we do a Windows driver, it will simply be in the
form of a library.  Which is a shame.

While we have ideas for how to do it under Windows, it is not something
we currently have plans to do, due to available engineering time.
(Not to mention that we're a through-and-through UNIX shop :)

We'll happily help any third party that wishes to develop Windows
driver software for the Entropy Key, however.  Much of the UNIX driver
should be easily portable to Windows (for example, the protocol
handlers, etc.)

-- 
Rob Kendrick, Support Team Lead                      Simtec Electronics
Telephone: +44 (0)1772 978013                  Avondale Drive, Tarleton
Fax: +44 (0)1772 816426                     Preston, Lancs, PR4 6AX, UK
http://www.simtec.co.uk/                       mailto:rjek at simtec.co.uk