---
name: "ns_rand"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "aolserver4"
version: "4.0.10-7"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ns_rand"
---

# ns\_rand(3)

commands

## NAME

ns\_rand - commands

## SYNOPSIS

**ns\_rand** ?*max*?

## DESCRIPTION

ns\_rand generates a cryptographically-secure random number.  If 
 *max*
 is not specified, the random number is a floating-point value
 *n*
 such that
 *0.0 \<= n \< 1.0.*
 If
 *max*
 is specified, it must be a positive integer between 0 and 2147483647.
 The return value is an integer value such that
 *0 \<= n \<= (max - 1).*
 Internally ns\_rand is implemented with the [drand48(3)](/drand48/3.md) and [lrand48(3)](/lrand48/3.md)
 standard library functions.  An internal random seed is generated
 the first time ns\_rand is called after the server starts.

## EXAMPLES

 nscp\> ns\_rand
\
  0\.39938485692

 nscp\> ns\_rand 10
\
  7

## SEE ALSO

nsd(1), [info(n)](/info/n.md), [drand48(3)](/drand48/3.md), [lrand48(3)](/lrand48/3.md)

## KEYWORDS