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#26 2009-06-08 13:39:40

lseubert
Member
From: Maryland, USA
Registered: 2009-05-18
Posts: 141

Re: Good Random Password Generator? (CLI or GUI)

If you want truly, genuinely random numbers for password generation, and very secure passwords, you need to:

1) get five dice
2) read the Diceware Passphrase page

Generating truly random numbers on a computer is actually very hard. Dice - a 5,000 year old technology - are better, and Diceware Passphrases are one of the best secure password methods available. Best of all, it is relatively easy to remember a diceware passphrase.


"To the question whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hoping are optimistic."
    -- Albert Schweitzer

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#27 2009-06-10 05:01:04

von_Wanderlust
Member
Registered: 2008-11-03
Posts: 67

Re: Good Random Password Generator? (CLI or GUI)

I use this script which I got from the Password Composer site (I've kept a copy of the page in the script). You run the script with one argument which is the site/user/server/whatever-you-want, it asks for a master password, it hashes the two together and spits out an 8 digit alphanumeric code. The script copies the password to xclip's clipboard (you will need to make sure you have xclip if you want this function) and I paste it straight into the password field or terminal without having to re-type it. I like it because I don't know what the individual passwords are and don't need to store them (although I also use the vim plugin mentioned earlier for sites that have stupid password restrictions). If you don't have xclip it will print the password onto the screen for manually copy and paste. Example:

$ pwc XXX-tacos.com
Enter your master password: 
Password has been copied to clipboard

NB, the 'master' password is set by, and needs to be remembered by you (oh noes!), and you need to make sure you enter the site name the same way everytime otherwise it won't work. Not so much of a problem as I enter in "pwc XXX-t" then arrow up to complete the line from bash_history.

#!/bin/bash
#
# from: http://www.xs4all.nl/~jlpoutre/BoT/Javascript/PasswordComposer/password_composer_shellscript.html
# NB, requires xclip

MD5=`which md5sum`
if [ ! -x "$MD5" ]
then
    MD5=`which md5` # OSX
fi
if [ ! -x "$MD5" ]
then
    echo "Utility md5sum (or md5) not found." >&2
    exit 1
fi

XCLIP=`which xclip`
if [ ! -x "$XCLIP" ]
then
    echo "Utility xclip not found." >&2
    exit 1
fi

if [ $# -ne 1 ]
then
    echo -n "Enter the domain: "
    read DOMAIN
else
    DOMAIN=$1
fi

echo -n "Enter your master password: "
stty -echo
echo -n "$(head -1 | cat - <(echo :$DOMAIN) - | tr -d \\n | $MD5 | cut -b 1-8)" | $XCLIP
stty echo
echo -e "\nPassword has been copied to clipboard"

There is also a page on the website to do the same as above, handy when you don't have access to your machine. Although it's not a secure page so you may be transmitting your valuable password for internet banking in the clear.


Btw, I like how Initbox and Aprz generate passwords - cool, I can see myself reusing those in scripts in the future.

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#28 2009-06-10 05:08:45

Ghost1227
Forum Fellow
From: Omaha, NE, USA
Registered: 2008-04-21
Posts: 1,422
Website

Re: Good Random Password Generator? (CLI or GUI)

This might be way too obvious, but what about http://goodpassword.com?


.:[My Blog] || [My GitHub]:.

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#29 2009-06-10 10:53:28

lseubert
Member
From: Maryland, USA
Registered: 2009-05-18
Posts: 141

Re: Good Random Password Generator? (CLI or GUI)

Deriving true randomness from a computer is actually very difficult to do. Genuine, authentic randomness is quite hard to find in nature, let alone a computer. There is a lot of underlying order in the seeming chaos of any natural system, and even more order in an ordered system such as a desktop PC.

Coins and dice really are much better at creating random numbers than a computer, though they are not perfect. Transluscent GameScience dice rolled through a dicetower are a very good choice. Their quality is almost equal to very expensive casino dice, and the dicetower does a better job of randomizing than rolling by hand or with a cup. Sometimes, old tech really is the best tech.

As for getting a password from any site online, well, that is something I would never, ever do. Think about it. You create your password on a website that communicates directly with your own computer? I wouldn't even do this on a Tor networked computer.

Seriously folks, try Diceware Passphrases. If you make them long enough, and throw in a few random characters and capitalizations, they are extremely secure. And, they are fairly easy to remember. Far easier to remember than a conventional password with the same number bits of entropy.

Last edited by lseubert (2009-06-10 11:12:50)


"To the question whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hoping are optimistic."
    -- Albert Schweitzer

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#30 2016-07-02 14:31:09

slobeck
Member
Registered: 2016-06-10
Posts: 2

Re: Good Random Password Generator? (CLI or GUI)

scj wrote:

I'm using keepassx, mostly because it has a windows version and it's sort of nice, except the linux version can't merge password databases.


I've been using this for a while. What I really like about it are:
1: the database kdbx (keepassx2) and the key file can be hosted anywhere.
2: runs on ANY OS.

implications: All devices running GNU/Linux WindozWE (whatever)  iOS, MacOS (oops oh sorry, macOS) and Android can reference the same hosted DB file.

The Keyfile can be a Yubikey or a file. It can be used instead of or with a passphrase. It also can be hosted anywhere. (Which is why I would never have a key file that's not its self a security device - as the sole key. )

In my case I keep BOTH the database AND the key on a USB stick.  It plays well with PAM

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