In Unix-like operating systems, /dev/random, /dev/urandom and /dev/arandom are special files that serve as pseudorandom number generators. They allow access to environmental noise collected from device drivers and other sources. /dev/random typically blocks if there is less entropy available than requested; /dev/urandom typically never blocks, even if the pseudorandom number generator seed was not fully initialized with entropy since boot. /dev/arandom blocks after boot until the seed has been securely initialized with enough entropy, and then never blocks again. Not all operating systems implement the same methods for /dev/random and /dev/urandom and only a few provide /dev/arandom.