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 # ...
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Tags: encrypted passwords, hash, Linux, makepasswd command, md5 digest, mkpasswd command, random password, shell script, store password, UNIX
November 11th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
apt-get install makepasswd