Thread: What algorithm does the random() function use?

So how good is the random() function in pgsql?  How many iterations
through the PRNG before the PRNG loops?

Does it depend on the underlying O/S?  Which, in our case, is CentOS 5,
64bit.

(I ask, because back in my Visual Basic days, I ran into an issue where
the built-in PRNG would loop after 30 bits worth had been used.  Which
caused issues in a situation where we really need a whole lot more
length in our PRNG.)

Thomas Harold <thomas-news@nybeta.com> writes:
> So how good is the random() function in pgsql?

It's whatever the underlying C library supplies.

            regards, tom lane