in-kernel crypto

in-kernel crypto

[J.A. Magallon]

Hi all...

Just a couple questions about the crypto routines present in kernel:

- Are they just for in-kernel use, some like encrypted filesystems, or can
  it be used from userspace ?
- It it is usable from userland, has it any advantage over doing it in
  userspace ? IE, for example, can ssh be faster it used the kernel crypto ?
- If so, how ? Special library ? syscalls ?

If this is on a faq everywhere, a pointer is just enough, thanks.

TIA

-- 
J.A. Magallon <jamagallon@able.es>      \                 Software is like sex:
werewolf.able.es                         \           It's better when it's free
Mandrake Linux release 9.2 (Cooker) for i586
Linux 2.4.22-pre7-jam1m (gcc 3.3.1 (Mandrake Linux 9.2 3.3.1-0.6mdk))

Re: in-kernel crypto

[James Morris]

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003, J.A. Magallon wrote:

> Hi all...
> 
> Just a couple questions about the crypto routines present in kernel:
> 
> - Are they just for in-kernel use, some like encrypted filesystems, or can
>   it be used from userspace ?

It's just for the kernel at the moment.

> - It it is usable from userland, has it any advantage over doing it in
>   userspace ? IE, for example, can ssh be faster it used the kernel crypto ?

No real point until there is hardware support, then userspace can take 
advantage of it.


> - If so, how ? Special library ? syscalls ?

Probably a filesystem.


- James
-- 
James Morris
<jmorris@intercode.com.au>