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From: Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: srand(0)
Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2026 07:39:08 -0800
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John McCue <jmclnx@gmail.com.invalid> writes:

> Michael Sanders <porkchop@invalid.foo> wrote:
>
>> Is it incorrect to use 0 (zero) to seed srand()?
>>
>> int seed = (argc >= 2 && strlen(argv[1]) == 9)
>>            ? atoi(argv[1])
>>            : (int)(time(NULL) % 900000000 + 100000000);
>>
>> srand(seed);
>
> I like to just read /dev/urandom when I need a random
> number.  Seem easier and more portable across Linux &
> the *BSDs.
>
> int s;
> read(fd, &s, sizeof(int));

Apples and oranges.  Many applications that use random numbers
need a stream of numbers that is deterministic and reproducible,
which /dev/urandom is not.