[Tutorial] Linux: “Fatal: no entropy gathering module detected”

Since friday, I have a VPS server with Debian.

I had to upgrade my VPS from Lenny to Squeeze (from stable to testing).

Upgrading went right, but I got that Fatal message in the title, when starting up CenterIM and Elinks.

Googling it was a pain in the ass, but I’ve found something.

That’s why I want to write this tutorial.

After upgrading, you’ll likely do this:

INSERT TERMINAL APP HERE

Fatal: no entropy gathering module detected

Aborted

Now don’t panic.

Do the followings:

cd /dev

YOUR DEV’S (LOOK AT URANDOM AND RANDOM).

You’ll see either “urandom” and/or “random”.

Delete them:

rm -f urandom

rm -f random

Now we have to remake both of them and chmod it.

/sbin/MAKEDEV urandom

/sbin/MAKEDEV random

chmod 777 /dev/urandom

chmod 777 /dev/random

Now try the same app again, and it works!