What is the VirtIO RNG Device Driver?
The VirtIO RNG (Random Number Generator) device is a virtual device that provides a source of high-quality random numbers for virtualized environments, typically in KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) or QEMU (Quick Emulator) virtual machines. It is used to generate entropy (random data), which is essential for tasks such as encryption, secure key generation, and other operations that require random numbers.
The VirtIO RNG device works by providing the virtual machine with access to a hardware-based or software-generated random number generator. In some configurations, especially on cloud-based virtual environments or virtual machines running Linux, the VirtIO RNG driver helps improve the quality and availability of random numbers, which may otherwise be limited in virtual environments.