"Anonymous" == Anonymous <mixmaster@alpha.c2.org> writes:
Anonymous> I'm working on a unix application where I want to store a Anonymous> key in memory and don't want it to get written out to a Anonymous> swap file. If the key is in any of the application's Anonymous> memory pages, it could be swapped out at any time, and Anonymous> potentially left in the swap file when the computer is Anonymous> turned off. That's only a problem if physical security doesn't exist at the console. No operating system (or monitor) can overcome the lack of that. Anonymous> But, what if the program creates a pipe() and writes the Anonymous> key into it, then reads the key out when necessary? A pipe ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ In which case it's in memory and can be paged or swapped. Anonymous> has a 4K buffer, but that buffer is in the kernel's memory, Anonymous> not in the application's pages. Could a kernel buffer get Anonymous> written out to a swapfile? Depending on how the kernel is written, bringing down the machine could result in a dump of kernel memory being written to the swap device anyway. -- steve@miranova.com baur Unsolicited commercial e-mail will be proofread for $250/hour.