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In reply to Comment by Reader zagam

Andrew Ayer on 2016-06-19 at 15:26:

Not all information on Unix is retrieved using a device file. For example, getting the time of day is done with a system call. Getting entropy is more analogous to getting the time of day than accessing a device: it's a core function needed by many applications, and there is no need to ever restrict access to it (running out of entropy is a myth created by the Linux man page for random(4)). Combined with the security problems with using a device file for such a security-critical function, you have a compelling case for using a system call for entropy.

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