ARC4RANDOM(3)            BSD Library Functions Manual            ARC4RANDOM(3)

NAME
     arc4random, arc4randomstir, arc4randomaddrandom -- arc4 random number
     generator

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     ##include <>

     uint32t
     arc4random(void);

     void
     arc4randomstir(void);

     void
     arc4randomaddrandom(unsigned char *dat, int datlen);

DESCRIPTION
     The 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
     (2**1700) states.

     The arc4randomstir() function reads data from /dev/urandom and uses it
     to permute the S-Boxes via arc4randomaddrandom().

     There is no need to call arc4randomstir() before using arc4random(),
     since arc4random() automatically initializes itself.

SEE ALSO
     rand(3), random(3), srandomdev(3)

HISTORY
     RC4 has been designed by RSA Data Security, Inc.  It was posted anony-
     mously to the USENET and was confirmed to be equivalent by several
     sources who had access to the original cipher.  Since RC4 used to be a
     trade secret, the cipher is now referred to as ARC4.

BSD                             April 15, 1997                             BSD