Random Numbers

With the exception of cert-new, any BX command that requires a random number obtains that value as an argument. This places the responsibility of ensuring random number strength on end-users and also helps them understand the potential for problems.

The cert-new command uses platform random number generation due to its reliance on the underlying Curve ZMQ implementation.

The seed command is provided as a convenience, and is the only command that generates randomness.

$ bx help seed

Usage: bx seed [-h] [--bit_length value] [--config value]                

Info: Generate a pseudorandom seed.                                      

Options (named):

-b [--bit_length]    The length of the seed in bits. Must be divisible by
                     8 and must not be less than 128, defaults to 192.   
-c [--config]        The path to the configuration settings file.        
-h [--help]          Get a description and instructions for this command.

Example usage:

$ bx seed -b 256

e4d28a5972ce0785477f39f58e424c5ef643b26894c50f8e024601f87736b8fe 

BX utilizes libbitcoin's deterministic ECDSA and as such requires no seed for signing.