.\" $OpenBSD: arc4random.3,v 1.4 1998/09/07 16:44:34 aaron Exp $
.\" Copyright 1997 Niels Provos <provos@physnet.uni-hamburg.de>
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.\"      This product includes software developed by Niels Provos.
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.\" Manual page, using -mandoc macros
.\"
.Dd April 15, 1997
.Dt ARC4RANDOM 3
.Os "OpenBSD 2.0"
.Sh NAME
.Nm arc4random,
.Nm arc4random_stir,
.Nm arc4random_addrandom
.Nd arc4 random number generator.
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Fd #include <stdlib.h>
.Ft u_int32_t
.Fn arc4random "void"
.Ft void
.Fn arc4random_stir "void"
.Ft void
.Fn arc4random_addrandom "u_char *dat" "int datlen"
.Sh DESCRIPTION
The
.Fn 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 
.if t 2\u\s71700\s10\d
.if n (2**1700)
states.
.Pp
The
.Fn arc4random_stir
function reads data from 
.Pa /dev/arandom
and uses it to permutate the S-Boxes via
.Fn arc4random_addrandom .
.Pp
There is no need to call 
.Fn arc4random_stir
before using
.Fn arc4random ,
since
.Fn arc4random
automatically initalizes itself.
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr rand48 3 ,
.Xr rand 3 ,
.Xr random 3
.Sh HISTORY
.Pa RC4 
has been designed by RSA Data Security, Inc. It was posted anonymously
to the USENET and was confirmed to be equivalent by several sources who
had access to the original cipher. Since 
.Pa RC4
used to be a trade secret, the cipher is now referred to as 
.Pa ARC4 .