Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg(3pm)		User Contributed Perl Documentation		  Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg(3pm)

NAME

       Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg - download entropy from random.org

SYNOPSIS

	       use Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg;

	       my $rawsrc = Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg->new;

	       $c = $rawsrc->getc;
	       # and the rest of the I/O handle interface

DESCRIPTION

       This class provides an I/O handle connected to a stream of random octets being generated by an electromagnetic noise detector connected to
       the random.org server.  This is a strong source of random bits, but is not suitable for security applications because the bits are passed
       over the Internet unencrypted.  The handle implements a substantial subset of the interface described in IO::Handle.

       For use as a general entropy source, it is recommended to wrap an object of this class using "Data::Entropy::Source", which provides
       methods to extract entropy in more convenient forms than mere octets.

       The bits generated at random.org are, theoretically and as far as anyone can tell, totally unbiased and uncorrelated.  However, they are
       sent over the Internet in the clear, and so are subject to interception and alteration by an adversary.	This is therefore generally
       unsuitable for security applications.  The capacity of the random bit server is also limited.  This class will slow down requests if the
       server's entropy pool is less than half full, and (as requested by the server operators) pause entirely if the entropy pool is less than
       20% full.

       Applications requiring secret entropy should generate it locally (see Data::Entropy::RawSource::Local).	Applications requiring a large
       amount of entropy should generate it locally or download it from randomnumbers.info (see Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo).
       Applications requiring a large amount of apparently-random data, but not true entropy, might prefer to fake it cryptographically (see
       Data::Entropy::RawSource::CryptCounter).

CONSTRUCTOR

       Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg->new
	   Creates and returns a handle object referring to a stream of random octets generated by random.org.

METHODS

       A subset of the interfaces described in IO::Handle and IO::Seekable are provided:

       $rawsrc->read(BUFFER, LENGTH[, OFFSET])
       $rawsrc->getc
       $rawsrc->ungetc(ORD)
       $rawsrc->eof
	   Buffered reading from the source, as in IO::Handle.

       $rawsrc->sysread(BUFFER, LENGTH[, OFFSET])
	   Unbuffered reading from the source, as in IO::Handle.

       $rawsrc->close
	   Does nothing.

       $rawsrc->opened
	   Retruns true to indicate that the source is available for I/O.

       $rawsrc->clearerr
       $rawsrc->error
	   Error handling, as in IO::Handle.

       The buffered ("read" et al) and unbuffered ("sysread" et al) sets of methods are interchangeable, because no such distinction is made by
       this class.

       Methods to write to the file are unimplemented because the stream is fundamentally read-only.  Methods to seek are unimplemented because
       the stream is non-rewindable; "ungetc" works, however.

SEE ALSO

       Data::Entropy::RawSource::CryptCounter, Data::Entropy::RawSource::Local, Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo,
       Data::Entropy::Source, <http://www.random.org>

AUTHOR

       Andrew Main (Zefram) <zefram@fysh.org>

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 Andrew Main (Zefram) <zefram@fysh.org>

LICENSE

       This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

perl v5.12.3							    2011-05-09				  Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg(3pm)