makepasswd(1)

✨ makepasswd — the Unix Reference Manual glow-up ✨

okay bestie, so this one lives in section 1 of the manual (that's the "user commands" section, iykyk) and it's literally called makepasswd. let's get into it 💖

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🌸 NAME 🌸

makepasswd — generate and/or encrypt passwords

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🎀 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 ]

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so makepasswd generates true random passwords using /dev/urandom, and the whole vibe is security over pronounceability — like it is NOT trying to make something you can say out loud, it's trying to make something nobody can guess. periodt. 🔥

it can also encrypt plaintext passwords that you hand it on the command line. versatile queen 👑

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

• --chars N — generate passwords with exactly N characters. ⚠️ do not use this with --minchars and --maxchars, they will fight.
• --clearfrom FILE — take the password from FILE instead of generating one. this one requires the --crypt or --crypt-md5 options, and it may not be used with these: --chars, --maxchars, --minchars, --count, --string, --nocrypt. trailing newlines get yeeted but other white space does not. 🙈
• --count N — produce a total of N passwords (the default is one, bestie, just the 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 you want random seeds instead, specify a zero value (that's the default).
• --help — ignore other operands and produce only a help display. the classic. 💁
• --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 gives you a real-random seed.

🚨 bestie listen to me: this generates much less secure passwords than the default. not only does it generate predictable passwords because of the fixed seed, but the range of available seeds is 32 bits instead of the default 256 bits, and it cannot be changed without breaking expectations of previous users of this option. if possible, do not use this option. fr fr. 😭

• --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-random 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. 👀

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📜 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. (iconic origin story tbh 👑)

Colin Watson modified it to use Bytes::Random::Secure.

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©️ 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.

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

passwd(5)

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and that's the whole page, bestie 🫶 this one shipped as part of the Debian Distribution, dated 1998 February 9 — yeah she's an old soul but she still slays. mwah 💋💖