On Thu, Mar 31, 2005 at 08:25:21AM -0600, Sean Jewett wrote: > Nevermind the hardware and the available resources for the entropy.
I don't know how the random number generator in AppleSoft per se is implemented, but on most of those older systems they were completely deterministic: you give it a seed, and the computer would calculate a new pseudo-random number from that seed. That new pseudo-random number would then be used as the next seed, and so forth. This is adequate for most tasks because security is not a concern. Enthropy enters the picture on newer systems because security is a concern. While I doubt that you could reliably "reverse engineer" the previous random number from the current seed (it is based on modulo n arithmetic), you could determine the sequence of random numbers if you knew the seed. Clearly this is a bad thing if you want to protect your banking information. It also doesn't matter if you're trying to make a better poker game which is for pure entertainment. Byron. -- Apple2list is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... / Buy books, CDs, videos, and more from Amazon.com \ / <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/lowendmac> \ Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> Apple2list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/apple2.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/apple2list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
