mirror of
https://github.com/systemd/systemd
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102 lines
6.1 KiB
XML
102 lines
6.1 KiB
XML
<?xml version='1.0'?> <!--*-nxml-*-->
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<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
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"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd">
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<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later -->
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<refentry id="systemd-boot-random-seed.service" conditional='ENABLE_BOOTLOADER'
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xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
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<refentryinfo>
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<title>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</title>
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<productname>systemd</productname>
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</refentryinfo>
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<refmeta>
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<refentrytitle>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</refentrytitle>
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<manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
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</refmeta>
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<refnamediv>
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<refname>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</refname>
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<refpurpose>Refresh boot loader random seed at boot</refpurpose>
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</refnamediv>
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<refsynopsisdiv>
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<para><filename>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</filename></para>
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</refsynopsisdiv>
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<refsect1>
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<title>Description</title>
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<para><filename>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</filename> is a system service that automatically
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refreshes the boot loader random seed stored in the EFI System Partition (ESP), from the Linux kernel
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entropy pool. The boot loader random seed is primarily consumed and updated by
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry> from the
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UEFI environment (or
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-stub</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry> if the
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former is not used, but the latter is), and passed as initial RNG seed to the OS. It is an effective way
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to ensure the OS comes up with a random pool that is fully initialized.</para>
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<para>The service also automatically generates a 'system token' to store in an EFI variable in the
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system's NVRAM. The boot loader may then combine the on-disk random seed and the system token by
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cryptographic hashing, and pass it to the OS it boots as initialization seed for its entropy pool. Note:
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the random seed stored in the ESP is refreshed on <emphasis>every</emphasis> reboot ensuring that
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multiple subsequent boots will boot with different seeds. On the other hand, the system token is
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generated randomly <emphasis>once</emphasis>, and then persistently stored in the system's EFI variable
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storage, ensuring the same disk image won't result in the same series of boot loader seed values if used
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on multiple systems in parallel.</para>
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<para>The <filename>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</filename> unit invokes the <command>bootctl
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random-seed</command> command, which updates the random seed in the ESP, and initializes the system
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token if it's not initialized yet. The service is conditionalized so that it is run only when a boot
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loader is used that implements the <ulink url="https://systemd.io/BOOT_LOADER_INTERFACE">Boot Loader
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Interface</ulink>.</para> <para>For further details see
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>bootctl</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>, regarding
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the command this service invokes.</para>
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<para>Note the relationship between <filename>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</filename> and
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-random-seed</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>. The
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former maintains the random seed consumed and updated by the boot environment (i.e. by
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry> or
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-stub</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>), the
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latter maintains a random seed consumed and updated by the OS itself. The former ensures that the OS has
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a filled entropy pool already during earliest boot when regular disk access is not available yet
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(i.e. when the OS random seed cannot be loaded yet). The latter is processed much later, once writable
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disk access is available. Thus it cannot be used to seed the initial boot phase, but typically has much
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higher quality of entropy. Both files are consumed and updated at boot, but at different
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times. Specifically:</para>
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<orderedlist>
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<listitem><para>In UEFI mode, the
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry> or
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<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-stub</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>
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components load the boot loader random seed from the ESP, hash it with available entropy and the system
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token, and then update it on disk. A derived seed is passed to the kernel which writes it to its
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entropy pool.</para></listitem>
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<listitem><para>In userspace the <filename>systemd-random-seed.service</filename> service loads the OS
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random seed, writes it to the kernel entropy pool, and then updates it on disk with a new value derived
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from the kernel entropy pool.</para></listitem>
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<listitem><para>In userspace the <filename>systemd-boot-random-seed.service</filename> service updates
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the boot loader random seed with a new value derived from the kernel entropy pool.</para></listitem>
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</orderedlist>
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<para>This logic should ensure that the kernel's entropy pool is seeded during earliest bool already, if
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possible, but the highest quality entropy is propagated back to both on-disk seeds.</para>
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</refsect1>
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<refsect1>
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<title>See Also</title>
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<para><simplelist type="inline">
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<member><citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry></member>
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<member><citerefentry><refentrytitle>random</refentrytitle><manvolnum>4</manvolnum></citerefentry></member>
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<member><citerefentry><refentrytitle>bootctl</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry></member>
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<member><citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-boot</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry></member>
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<member><citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-stub</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry></member>
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<member><citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-random-seed.service</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry></member>
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</simplelist></para>
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</refsect1>
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</refentry>
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