Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:35:15 -0700 From: Bill Campbell <freebsd@celestial.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: generating random passwords Message-ID: <20080611163515.GA8032@ayn.mi.celestial.com> In-Reply-To: <20080611161436.GA9276@slackbox.xs4all.nl> References: <484F7CBE.5060401@lc-words.com> <20080611161436.GA9276@slackbox.xs4all.nl>
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On Wed, Jun 11, 2008, Roland Smith wrote: >On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 09:20:30AM +0200, Zbigniew Szalbot wrote: >> Hello, >> >> Excuse me my ignorance. Is there a utility in FreeBSD that would allow >> me to generate random passwords without actually creating any accounts >> or modifying existing ones? I am looking for something to allow me to >> generate a random string of characters. I know I can randomly hit the >> keyboard but if anything like that exists, many thanks for your advice. :) > >Using FreeBSD's random device: >tcsh syntax: >( dd if=/dev/random bs=6 count=1 | openssl base64 > /dev/tty ) > & /dev/null > >sh syntax: >dd if=/dev/random bs=6 count=1 2>/dev/null| openssl base64 I much prefer apg which can generate more-or-less pronounceable passwords which it is possible to remember (at least after typing them a few times :-). One of the biggest problems with random passwords is that they end up written on yellow-stickies on the monitor or under the keyboard. Bill -- INTERNET: bill@celestial.com Bill Campbell; Celestial Software LLC URL: http://www.celestial.com/ PO Box 820; 6641 E. Mercer Way Voice: (206) 236-1676 Mercer Island, WA 98040-0820 Fax: (206) 232-9186 With Congress, every time they make a joke it's a law; and every time they make a law it's a joke. -- Will Rogers
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