From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Jun 11 16:35:18 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 38BC11065677 for ; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:35:18 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bill@ayn.mi.celestial.com) Received: from ayn.mi.celestial.com (hayek.celestial.com [192.136.111.12]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DA0788FC0A for ; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:35:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bill@ayn.mi.celestial.com) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by ayn.mi.celestial.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 854B66854F1C0; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:35:15 -0700 (PDT) X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at mi.celestial.com Received: from ayn.mi.celestial.com ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (ayn.mi.celestial.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with LMTP id DnLbpifeAwVX; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:35:15 -0700 (PDT) Received: by ayn.mi.celestial.com (Postfix, from userid 203) id 6910A6800E985; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:35:15 -0700 (PDT) Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:35:15 -0700 From: Bill Campbell To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20080611163515.GA8032@ayn.mi.celestial.com> Mail-Followup-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <484F7CBE.5060401@lc-words.com> <20080611161436.GA9276@slackbox.xs4all.nl> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20080611161436.GA9276@slackbox.xs4all.nl> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.11 OpenPKG/2.5 Subject: Re: generating random passwords X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: freebsd@celestial.com List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:35:18 -0000 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