GNU bug report logs - #9118
23.3.50; Don't seed the RNG in message-unique-id

Previous Next

Full log

View this message in rfc822 format

From: Leo <sdl.web <at> gmail.com>
To: 9118 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Cc: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Subject: bug#9118: 23.3.50; Don't seed the RNG in message-unique-id
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:12:12 +0800

On 2011-07-19 23:49 +0800, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen wrote:
> Once per package?  That means that it's called many times in a single
> Emacs session, so I don't really see the problem.

Only at the time of loading a package and only a package or two in the
following do I use. After loading the packages, they won't change the
rng any more.

But calling (random t) every time a function is called just gets in the
way, that means I am no longer getting a uniform distribution from the
RNG. Also (random t) is much more predictable.

,----
| ChangeLog.6:6494:	(life): Do (random t) only once and only when `life' is called.
| allout-widgets.el:1351:;;                  (random t)
| calc/calc-comb.el:575:    (random t)
| gnus/message.el:4788:		  (format "%x%x%x" (random) (random t) (random))
| gnus/message.el:5494:	(% (1+ (or message-unique-id-char (logand (random t) (1- (lsh 1 20)))))
| net/sasl.el:186:	(% (1+ (or sasl-unique-id-char (logand (random t) (1- (lsh 1 20)))))
| org/org-id.el:322:			  (random t)
| play/5x5.el:957:(random t)
| play/animate.el:204:(random t)
| play/blackbox.el:260:  (random t)
| play/cookie1.el:57:(random t)
| Binary file play/cookie1.elc matches
| play/dissociate.el:97:(random t)
| play/doctor.el:1620:(random t)
| play/dunnet.el:3013:(random t)
| play/gomoku.el:1200:(random t)
| play/landmark.el:1686:(random t)
| play/life.el:125:      (random t))
| play/mpuz.el:38:(random t)				; randomize
| play/tetris.el:639:(random t)
| play/zone.el:683:(random t)
| server.el:97:           (when val (random t))
| type-break.el:584:        (random t)
`----

> This should really be fixed by Emacs calling `(random t)' at startup.

That should leave for the user to do. Common Lisp also does no seeding
at start up.

Leo

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.