// Copyright 2018 Developers of the Rand project. // // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 or the MIT license // , at your // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed // except according to those terms. //! Random number generators and adapters //! //! ## Background: Random number generators (RNGs) //! //! Computers cannot produce random numbers from nowhere. We classify //! random number generators as follows: //! //! - "True" random number generators (TRNGs) use hard-to-predict data sources //! (e.g. the high-resolution parts of event timings and sensor jitter) to //! harvest random bit-sequences, apply algorithms to remove bias and //! estimate available entropy, then combine these bits into a byte-sequence //! or an entropy pool. This job is usually done by the operating system or //! a hardware generator (HRNG). //! - "Pseudo"-random number generators (PRNGs) use algorithms to transform a //! seed into a sequence of pseudo-random numbers. These generators can be //! fast and produce well-distributed unpredictable random numbers (or not). //! They are usually deterministic: given algorithm and seed, the output //! sequence can be reproduced. They have finite period and eventually loop; //! with many algorithms this period is fixed and can be proven sufficiently //! long, while others are chaotic and the period depends on the seed. //! - "Cryptographically secure" pseudo-random number generators (CSPRNGs) //! are the sub-set of PRNGs which are secure. Security of the generator //! relies both on hiding the internal state and using a strong algorithm. //! //! ## Traits and functionality //! //! All RNGs implement the [`RngCore`] trait, as a consequence of which the //! [`Rng`] extension trait is automatically implemented. Secure RNGs may //! additionally implement the [`CryptoRng`] trait. //! //! All PRNGs require a seed to produce their random number sequence. The //! [`SeedableRng`] trait provides three ways of constructing PRNGs: //! //! - `from_seed` accepts a type specific to the PRNG //! - `from_rng` allows a PRNG to be seeded from any other RNG //! - `seed_from_u64` allows any PRNG to be seeded from a `u64` insecurely //! - `from_entropy` securely seeds a PRNG from fresh entropy //! //! Use the [`rand_core`] crate when implementing your own RNGs. //! //! ## Our generators //! //! This crate provides several random number generators: //! //! - [`OsRng`] is an interface to the operating system's random number //! source. Typically the operating system uses a CSPRNG with entropy //! provided by a TRNG and some type of on-going re-seeding. //! - [`ThreadRng`], provided by the [`thread_rng`] function, is a handle to a //! thread-local CSPRNG with periodic seeding from [`OsRng`]. Because this //! is local, it is typically much faster than [`OsRng`]. It should be //! secure, though the paranoid may prefer [`OsRng`]. //! - [`StdRng`] is a CSPRNG chosen for good performance and trust of security //! (based on reviews, maturity and usage). The current algorithm is ChaCha20, //! which is well established and rigorously analysed. //! [`StdRng`] provides the algorithm used by [`ThreadRng`] but without //! periodic reseeding. //! - [`SmallRng`] is an **insecure** PRNG designed to be fast, simple, require //! little memory, and have good output quality. //! //! The algorithms selected for [`StdRng`] and [`SmallRng`] may change in any //! release and may be platform-dependent, therefore they should be considered //! **not reproducible**. //! //! ## Additional generators //! //! **TRNGs**: The [`rdrand`] crate provides an interface to the RDRAND and //! RDSEED instructions available in modern Intel and AMD CPUs. //! The [`rand_jitter`] crate provides a user-space implementation of //! entropy harvesting from CPU timer jitter, but is very slow and has //! [security issues](https://github.com/rust-random/rand/issues/699). //! //! **PRNGs**: Several companion crates are available, providing individual or //! families of PRNG algorithms. These provide the implementations behind //! [`StdRng`] and [`SmallRng`] but can also be used directly, indeed *should* //! be used directly when **reproducibility** matters. //! Some suggestions are: [`rand_chacha`], [`rand_pcg`], [`rand_xoshiro`]. //! A full list can be found by searching for crates with the [`rng` tag]. //! //! [`SmallRng`]: rngs::SmallRng //! [`StdRng`]: rngs::StdRng //! [`OsRng`]: rngs::OsRng //! [`ThreadRng`]: rngs::ThreadRng //! [`mock::StepRng`]: rngs::mock::StepRng //! [`adapter::ReadRng`]: rngs::adapter::ReadRng //! [`adapter::ReseedingRng`]: rngs::adapter::ReseedingRng //! [`rdrand`]: https://crates.io/crates/rdrand //! [`rand_jitter`]: https://crates.io/crates/rand_jitter //! [`rand_chacha`]: https://crates.io/crates/rand_chacha //! [`rand_pcg`]: https://crates.io/crates/rand_pcg //! [`rand_xoshiro`]: https://crates.io/crates/rand_xoshiro //! [`rng` tag]: https://crates.io/keywords/rng pub mod adapter; #[cfg(feature="std")] mod entropy; pub mod mock; // Public so we don't export `StepRng` directly, making it a bit // more clear it is intended for testing. #[cfg(feature="small_rng")] mod small; mod std; #[cfg(feature="std")] pub(crate) mod thread; #[allow(deprecated)] #[cfg(feature="std")] pub use self::entropy::EntropyRng; #[cfg(feature="small_rng")] pub use self::small::SmallRng; pub use self::std::StdRng; #[cfg(feature="std")] pub use self::thread::ThreadRng; #[cfg(feature="getrandom")] pub use rand_core::OsRng;