I've been using various versions of UNIX and Linux since 1993, and I've never run across one that showed your password as you type it in when you log in, or one that stored passwords in plain text rather than encrypted. I'm writing a script for work for a security audit, and two of the... (5 Replies)
We ran into a problem because of a shop that uses Windows and UNIX.
The file names that Windows uses have spaces in them. When they get moved to the unix system they still have spaces. This produces a problem in our script that moves them again from one unix system to another. I've made up a... (2 Replies)
makepasswd(1) UNIX Reference Manual makepasswd(1)NAME
makepasswd - generate and/or encrypt passwords
SYNOPSIS
makepasswd [ --chars N ] [ --clearfrom file ] [ --count N ] [ --crypt | --nocrypt | --crypt-md5 ] [ --cryptsalt N ] [ --help ] [ --maxchars
N ] [ --minchars N ] [ --randomseed N ] [ --rerandom N ] [ --repeatpass N ] [ --string string ] [ --verbose | --noverbose ]
DESCRIPTION
makepasswd generates true random passwords using /dev/urandom, with the emphasis on security over pronounceability. It can also encrypt
plaintext passwords given on the command line.
OPTIONS --chars N
Generate passwords with exactly N characters (do not use with options --minchars and --maxchars).
--clearfrom FILE
Use password from FILE instead of generating passwords. Requires the --crypt or the --crypt-md5 options; may not be used with these
options: --chars, --maxchars, --minchars, --count, --string, --nocrypt. Trailing newlines are removed but other white space is not.
--count N
Produce a total of N passwords (the default is one).
--crypt
Produce encrypted passwords.
--crypt-md5
Produce encrypted passwords using the MD5 digest (hash) algorithm.
--cryptsalt N
Use crypt() salt N, a positive number <= 4096. If random seeds are desired, specify a zero value (the default).
--help Ignore other operands and produce only a help display.
--maxchars N
Generate passwords with at most N characters (default = 10).
--minchars N
Generate passwords with at least N characters (default = 8).
--nocrypt
Do not encrypt the generated password(s) (the default).
--noverbose
Display no labels on output (the default).
--randomseed N
Use random number seed N, between 0 and 2^32 inclusive. A zero value results in a real-random seed. This generates much less
secure passwords than the default; not only does it generate predictable passwords due to the fixed seed, but the range of available
seeds is 32 bits rather than the default of 256 bits, and cannot be changed without breaking expectations of previous users of this
option. If possible, do not use this option.
--rerandom N
Set the random seed value every N values used. Specify zero to use a single seed value (the default). Specify one to get true-ran-
dom passwords, though note that doing this too frequently will deplete the supply of entropy available in the kernel's entropy pool.
--repeatpass N
Use each password N times (4096 maximum, --crypt must be set and --cryptsalt may not be set).
--string STRING
Use the characters in STRING to generate random passwords.
--verbose
Display labelling information on output.
HISTORY
makepasswd was originally part of the mkircconf program used to centrally administer the Linux Internet Support Cooperative IRC network.
It may potentially be of use in any situation where passwords must be secure and need not be memorized by humans.
Colin Watson modified it to use OpenSSL's pseudo-random number generator.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 1997-1998 by lilo <lilo@linpeople.org>. All rights are reserved by the author. This program may be used under the terms of
version 2 of the GNU Public License.
SEE ALSO passwd(5)Debian Distribution 1998 February 9 makepasswd(1)