VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

mykhal · 2007-05-19 02:42:44

Hello,
I started using archlinux few weeks ago, and I'm pleased with it, runs pretty fast, even on my rather slow machine, which is powered by VIA's passively cooled C3 Eden Nehemiah processor. It cannot compete with today's mainstream desktop processors, regarding to its computing power. But apart from enabling the computer to be completely silent, this CPU has one additional nice feature - it contains hardware random number generator (two of them, exactly) and AES crypto accelerator (C7 processors support also SHA hardware hashing. More info here). There's also linux support for this (see Michal Ludvig's article). Unfortunately, loading via_rng and padlock modules is not enough. Even though OpenSSL library contains padlock support, padlock engine is not used by default, therefore openssh package needs to be patched, to have e.g. ssh sessions and scp transfers accelerated. I have uploaded openssh-padlock PKGBUILD into AUR. Unfortunately, according to my forum searches, there probably are not too many VIA powered archlinuxers.. are they ?

Last edited by mykhal (2007-05-19 02:45:24)

cactus · 2007-05-19 03:41:38

I have one!
I have an epia-m 10000 lvds

mykhal · 2007-05-19 11:47:48

congrats :) it's a nice board. I think there are more variants of it some of them not having the hardware crypto. Did you play with this somehow ?

cactus · 2007-05-19 16:16:56

I haven't played with it yet.
I have been meaning to try it out though, namely I wanted to turn it into a little openvpn endpoint, and the encryption accelerator would be sweet for that.

mykhal · 2007-05-28 13:54:22

Quagga wrote:

... Thank you!

I'm pleased to know somebody else has use for it.

I have updated openssh-padlock package to pkgrel 2, to reflect the new openssh 4.6p2-4. Maybe it would be better to have the same pkgrel numberings, but I try to follow arch guidelines. Rel versions will be in sync with next openssh release (4.6p2?).

Naib · 2007-06-05 11:52:15

Just to say a Via (EPIA MII) user as well.

jcerdan · 2007-09-21 16:41:42

Hi, I'm using an EPIA too EPIA EN12000 Eden processor and it runs quite good!

Arch Linux

#1 2007-05-19 02:42:44

VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

#2 2007-05-19 03:41:38

Re: VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

#3 2007-05-19 11:47:48

Re: VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

#4 2007-05-19 16:16:56

Re: VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

#5 2007-05-28 13:54:22

Re: VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

#6 2007-06-05 11:52:15

Re: VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

#7 2007-09-21 16:41:42

Re: VIA Padlock hardware crypto support

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