RAND(3)

NAME
rand, rand_r, srand, srand_deterministic - bad pseudo-random number generator

SYNOPSIS
#include <stdlib.h>
void
srand(unsigned int seed);
void
srand_deterministic(unsigned int seed);
int
rand(void);
int
rand_r(unsigned int *seed);

DESCRIPTION
Standards insist that this interface return deterministic results. Unsafe usage is very common, so OpenBSD changed the subsystem to return non-deterministic results by default.

To satisfy portable code, srand() may be called to initialize the subsystem. In OpenBSD the seed variable is ignored, and strong random number results will be provided from arc4random(3). In other systems, the seed variable primes a simplistic deterministic algorithm.

If the standardized behavior is required srand_deterministic() can be substituted for srand(), then subsequent rand() calls will return results using the deterministic algorithm. The deterministic sequence algorithm changed a number of times since original development, is underspecified, and should not be relied upon to remain consistent between platforms and over time.

The rand() function returns a result in the range of 0 to RAND_MAX. By default, this result comes from arc4random(3). If srand_deterministic() was called, the result will be computed using the deterministic algorithm.

The rand_r() function is a thread-safe version of rand(). Storage for the seed must be provided through the seed argument, and needs to have been initialized by the caller. It always operates using the deterministic algorithm.

SEE ALSO
arc4random(3), rand48(3), random(3)

STANDARDS
The rand() function conforms to ansiC.

The rand_r() function conforms to p1003.1-2008.

The srand() function does not conform to ansiC, intentionally.

The srand_deterministic() function is an OpenBSD extension.

HISTORY
The functions rand() and srand() first appeared in AT&T UNIX.