NixOS/nix

Use portable C++ Pseudorandom number generator

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#10,541 opened on Apr 17, 2024

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good first issueportabilitywindows

Description

Avoid calls to rand / srand / random / srandom and other things which are not portable to Windows

Originally posted by @edolstra in https://github.com/NixOS/nix/pull/8901#discussion_r1568529190

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
backend
Issue type
refactor
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
C++understanding of random number generatorsNix codebase familiarity
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
65
Research direction
Investigate the use of rand/srand/random/srandom in the Nix codebase, focusing on the files referenced in PR #8901. Replace them with portable C++11 <random> facilities like std::mt19937 and std::uniform int distribution. Ensure Windows compatibility.