---
name: "EVP_RAND-SEED-SRC"
section: "7ssl"
platform: "linux"
package: "openssl"
version: "3.6.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/EVP_RAND-SEED-SRC"
---

# EVP\_RAND-SEED-SRC(7ssl)

The randomness seed source EVP\_RAND implementation

## NAME

EVP\_RAND-SEED-SRC - The randomness seed source EVP\_RAND implementation

## DESCRIPTION

Support for deterministic random number generator seeding through the **EVP\_RAND** API.

The seed sources used are specified at the time OpenSSL is configured for building using the **--with-rand-seed=** option.  By default, operating system randomness sources are used.

### Identity

"SEED-SRC" is the name for this implementation; it can be used with the **EVP\_RAND\_fetch()** function.

### Supported parameters

The supported parameters are:

- "state" (**OSSL\_RAND\_PARAM\_STATE**) \<integer\>

  - "strength" (**OSSL\_RAND\_PARAM\_STRENGTH**) \<unsigned integer\>

  - "max\_request" (**OSSL\_RAND\_PARAM\_MAX\_REQUEST**) \<unsigned integer\>

  These parameters work as described in "PARAMETERS" in **EVP\_RAND**(3).

## NOTES

A context for the seed source can be obtained by calling:

```
 EVP_RAND *rand = EVP_RAND_fetch(NULL, "SEED-SRC", NULL);
 EVP_RAND_CTX *rctx = EVP_RAND_CTX_new(rand, NULL);
```

## EXAMPLES

```
 EVP_RAND *rand;
 EVP_RAND_CTX *seed, *rctx;
 unsigned char bytes[100];
 OSSL_PARAM params[2], *p = params;
 unsigned int strength = 128;
 /* Create and instantiate a seed source */
 rand = EVP_RAND_fetch(NULL, "SEED-SRC", NULL);
 seed = EVP_RAND_CTX_new(rand, NULL);
 EVP_RAND_instantiate(seed, strength, 0, NULL, 0, NULL);
 EVP_RAND_free(rand);
 /* Feed this into a DRBG */
 rand = EVP_RAND_fetch(NULL, "CTR-DRBG", NULL);
 rctx = EVP_RAND_CTX_new(rand, seed);
 EVP_RAND_free(rand);
 /* Configure the DRBG */
 *p++ = OSSL_PARAM_construct_utf8_string(OSSL_DRBG_PARAM_CIPHER,
                                         SN_aes_256_ctr, 0);
 *p = OSSL_PARAM_construct_end();
 EVP_RAND_instantiate(rctx, strength, 0, NULL, 0, params);
 EVP_RAND_generate(rctx, bytes, sizeof(bytes), strength, 0, NULL, 0);
 EVP_RAND_CTX_free(rctx);
 EVP_RAND_CTX_free(seed);
```

## SEE ALSO

**EVP\_RAND**(3), "PARAMETERS" in **EVP\_RAND**(3)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2020-2021 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License").  You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.  You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at \<https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html\>.