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Re: use of rand() in zsh

On 10/11/2022 8:23 AM, Peter Stephenson wrote:

On 11/10/2022 13:51 Clinton Bunch <cdb_zsh@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

3. Write a module (e.g. zsh/random) that introduced a new special
parameter when loaded (more complicated, but isolated to those who want
it and possible to fail on systems that don't have a kernel entropy pool)

An autoloadable parameter gives you something that works basically as if
it's part of the shell but can be turned off as well as giving an error
if the module isn't available, so might be the best bet.  So the
.mdd file would have

autofeatures=p:SRANDOM

pws
That's a neat trick, but as someone who has had to hack to build software built and primarily tested on Linux, on a Unix system stuck in the '00's (if not the last century), I'd rather have an explicit load/test for the existence of the module than have it blow up on a system where SRANDOM didn't work. (8 years as an HP-UX admin) 

My $.02 for whatever that's worth. :)
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