Linux / UNIX: Generating random password with mkpasswd

Q. How do I generate random password to use with my shell script?

A. You can use makepasswd or mkpasswd command to generate random password under Linux / UNIX.

mkpasswd command is overfeatured front end to crypt(3) function. makepasswd command generates true random passwords by using the /dev/random feature of Linux, with the emphasis on security over pronounceability. It can also encrypt plaintext passwords given on the command line.

Install makepasswd

Type the following command at shell prompt:
$ sudo apt-get install makepasswd

How do I generate random password with mkpasswd?

Just type mkpasswd and hit enter key:
$ mkpasswd
Output:

Password: type-Your-Password
/o88/D4SvLix2

Store password in a shell variable, enter:
RPASS=$(makepasswd --char=10)
echo $RPASS
Above will generate passwords with exactly 10 characters long. To produce encrypted passwords using the MD5 digest (hash), enter:
$ makepasswd --char=10 --crypt-md5

You can write a script as follows:

#!/bin/bash
# ... do something
userPassword=$(makepasswd --char=8)
# ... do with $userPassword
echo $userPassword
# ...