Data::...ersInfo(3pm)

🌸 NAME 🌸

Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo — download entropy from randomnumbers.info 💖

okay so bestie, welcome to the Data::...ersInfo(3pm) man page, this one is SO fun, we're literally pulling real random bits off the internet from a quantum computer, no cap 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

use Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo;

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

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

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So this class hands you an I/O handle that's wired up to a stream of random octets, and those octets are being generated by a quantum random number generator — from the company id Quantique — which is plugged into the randomnumbers.info server at the University of Geneva. Iconic. It's a strong source of random bits, but ngl it 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.

If you want to use this as a general entropy source, the move is to wrap an object of this class using "Data::Entropy::Source" — that gives you methods to extract entropy in way more convenient forms than mere octets. Obsessed, honestly. 🫶

The bits generated at randomnumbers.info are, theoretically and as far as anyone can tell, totally unbiased and uncorrelated. Like, chef's kiss. BUT — and this is the part we do not skip — they are sent over the Internet in the clear, so they're subject to interception and alteration by an adversary. So this is therefore generally unsuitable for security applications. 🚨 Applications that require secret entropy should generate it locally (see Data::Entropy::RawSource::Local). Applications that require a large amount of apparently-random data, but not true entropy, might prefer to fake it cryptographically (see Data::Entropy::RawSource::CryptCounter). Pick your fighter 💅

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💫 CONSTRUCTOR 💫

• Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomnumbersInfo->new — creates and returns a handle object referring to a stream of random octets generated by randomnumbers.info. That's it, that's the whole vibe ✨

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🎀 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. Literally nothing. It's giving "I'm just here for the vibes" 😌
• $rawsrc->opened — returns 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. Slay, no drama. 💅

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. 👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• Data::Entropy::RawSource::CryptCounter
• Data::Entropy::RawSource::Local
• Data::Entropy::RawSource::RandomOrg
• Data::Entropy::Source
• <http://www.randomnumbers.info>

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👑 AUTHOR 👑

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

Maintained by Robert Rothenberg <rrwo@cpan.org>

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

Copyright (C) 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2025 Andrew Main (Zefram) <zefram@fysh.org>

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🌸 LICENSE 🌸

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

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and that's the whole page bestie, go forth and gather your quantum randomness responsibly (but not for secrets, fr fr) 🧚💖

perl v5.40.1 · 2025-03-29 · Data::...ersInfo(3pm) — mwah, ty for reading, ily, bye 💅✨