---
name: "CURLOPT_RANDOM_FILE"
section: "3"
platform: "macos"
package: "curl"
version: "166.0.0.0.1"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/CURLOPT_RANDOM_FILE"
---

# CURLOPT\_RANDOM\_FILE(3)

file to read random data from

## NAME

CURLOPT\_RANDOM\_FILE - file to read random data from

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLcode curl_easy_setopt(CURL *handle, CURLOPT_RANDOM_FILE, char *path);
```

## DESCRIPTION

Deprecated option. It serves no purpose anymore.

Pass a char pointer to a null-terminated filename. The file might be used to read from to seed the random engine for SSL and more.

The application does not have to keep the string around after setting this option.

## DEFAULT

NULL, not used

## PROTOCOLS

All

## EXAMPLE

```
int main(void)
{
  CURL *curl = curl_easy_init();
  if(curl) {
    CURLcode res;
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, "https://example.com/");
    curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_RANDOM_FILE, "junk.txt");
    res = curl_easy_perform(curl);
    curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
  }
}
```

## AVAILABILITY

If built with TLS enabled. Only the OpenSSL backend uses this, and only with OpenSSL versions before 1.1.0.

This option was deprecated in 7.84.0.

## RETURN VALUE

Returns CURLE\_OK on success or CURLE\_OUT\_OF\_MEMORY if there was insufficient heap space.

## SEE ALSO

[**CURLOPT\_EGDSOCKET**(3)](/CURLOPT_EGDSOCKET/3.md)