1APG(1) User Manual APG(1)
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6 apg - generates several random passwords
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10 apg [-a algorithm] [-M mode] [-E char_string] [-n num_of_pass] [-m
11 min_pass_len] [-x max_pass_len] [-r dictfile] [-b filter_file] [-p
12 min_substr_len] [-s] [-c cl_seed] [-d] [-y] [-l] [-t] [-k] [-q] [-h]
13 [-v]
14
16 apg generates several random passwords. It uses several password gener‐
17 ation algorithms (currently two) and a built-in pseudo random number
18 generator.
19 Default algorithm is pronounceable password generation algorithm
21 designed by Morrie Gasser and described in A Random Word Generator For
22 Pronounceable Passwords National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
23 AD-A-017676. The original paper is very old and had never been put
24 online, so I have to use NIST implementation described in FIPS-181.
25 Another algorithm is simple random character generation algorithm, but
27 it uses four user-defined symbol sets to produce random password. It
28 means that user can choose type of symbols that should appear in pass‐
29 word. Symbol sets are: numeric symbol set (0,...,9) , capital letters
30 symbol set (A,...,Z) , small letters symbol set (a,...,z) and special
31 symbols symbol set (#,@,!,...).
32 Built-in pseudo random number generator is an implementation of algo‐
34 rithm described in Appendix C of ANSI X9.17 or RFC1750 with exception
35 that it uses CAST or SHA-1 instead of Triple DES. It uses local time
36 with precision of microseconds (see gettimeofday(2)) and /dev/random
37 (if available) to produce initial random seed.
38 apg also have the ability to check generated password quality using
40 dictionary. You can use this ability if you specify command-line
41 options -r dictfile or -b filtername where dictfile is the dictionary
42 file name and filtername is the name of Bloom filter file. In that dic‐
43 tionary you may place words (one per line) that should not appear as
44 generated passwords. For example: user names, common words, etc. You
45 even can use one of the dictionaries that come with dictionary password
46 crackers. Bloom filter file should be created with apgbfm(1) utility
47 included in apg distribution. In future releases I plan to implement
48 some other techniques to check passwords (like pattern check) just to
49 make life easier.
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53 Password generation modes options
54 -a algorithm
55 use algorithm for password generation.
56 0 - (default) pronounceable password generation
57 1 - random character password generation
58 -n num_of_pass
60 generate num_of_pass number of passwords. Default is 6.
61 -m min_pass_len
63 generate password with minimum length min_pass_len. If
64 min_pass_len > max_pass_len then max_pass_len = min_pass_len.
65 Default minimum password length is 8.
66 -x max_pass_len
68 generate password with maximum length max_pass_len. If
69 min_pass_len > max_pass_len then max_pass_len = min_pass_len.
70 Default maximum password length is 10.
71 -M mode
73 Use symbolsets specified with mode for password generation.
74 mode is a text string consisting of characters S, s, N, n, C, c,
75 L, l. Where:
76 S generator must use special symbol set for every generated
78 password.
79 s generator should use special symbol set for password gen‐
81 eration.
82 N generator must use numeral symbol set for every generated
84 password.
85 n generator should use numeral symbol set for password gen‐
87 eration.
88 C generator must use capital symbol set for every generated
90 password.
91 c generator should use capital symbol set for password gen‐
93 eration.
94 L generator must use small letters symbol set for every
96 generated password (always present if pronounceable pass‐
97 word generation algorithm is used).
98 l generator should use small letters symbol set for pass‐
100 word generation.
101 R,r not supported any more. Use -E char_string option
103 instead.
104 mode can not be more than 4 characters in length.
105 Note:
107 Usage of L, M, N, C will slow down password generation process.
108 Examples:
110 -M sncl or -M SNCL or -M Cn
111 -E char_string
113 exclude characters in char_string from password generation
114 process (in pronounceable password generation mode you can not
115 exclude small letters). To include special symbols that can be
116 recognized by shell (apostrophe, quotes, dollar sign, etc.) in
117 char_string use the backslashed versions.
118 Examples:
120 Command apg -a 1 -M n -n 3 -m 8 -E 23456789 will generate a set
122 of passwords that will look like this
123 10100110
124 01111000
125 11011101
126 Command apg -a 1 -M nc -n 3 -m 26 -E GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ will
128 generate a set of passwords that will look like this
129 16A1653CD4DE5E7BD9584A3476
130 C8F78E06944AFD57FB9CB882BC
131 8C8DF37CD792D36D056BBD5002
132 Password quality control options
134 -k check every generated password using cracklib. To use this abil‐
135 ity you must enable cracklib support during programm building.
136 -r dictfile
138 check generated passwords for their appearance in dictfile
139 -b filter_file
141 check generated passwords for their appearance in filter_file.
142 filter_file should be created with apgbfm(1) utility.
143 -p min_substr_len
145 this option tells apg(1) to check every substring of the gener‐
146 ated password for appearance in filter_file. If any of such sub‐
147 strings would be found in the filter_file then generated pass‐
148 word would be rejected and apg(1) will generate another one.
149 min_substr_len specifies minimum substring length to check.
150 This option is active only if -b option is defined.
151 Pseudo random number generator options
153 -s ask user for random sequence for password generation
154 -c cl_seed
156 use cl_seed as a random seed for password generation. I use it
157 when i have to generate passwords in a shell script.
158 Password output options
160 -d do NOT use any delimiters between generated passwords. I use it
161 when i have to generate passwords in a shell script.
162 -y print generated passwords and crypted passwords (see man
164 crypt(3))
165 -q quiet mode (do not print warnings)
167 -l spell genetated passwords. Useful when you want to read gener‐
169 ated password by telephone.
170 WARNING: Think twice before read your password by phone.
171 -t print pronunciation for generated pronounceable password
173 -h print help information and exit
175 -v print version information and exit
177
179 apg -a 0 -M sncl -n 6 -x 10 -m 8 (new style)
180 If you want to generate really secure passwords, you should use option
182 -s. To simplify apg usage, you can write a small shell script. For
183 example:
184 [begin]----> pwgen.sh
185 #!/bin/sh
186 /usr/local/bin/apg -m 8 -x 12 -s
187 [ end ]----> pwgen.sh
188
190 On successful completion of its task, apg will complete with exit code
191 0. An exit code of -1 indicates an error occurred. Textual errors are
192 written to the standard error stream.
193
195 If /dev/random is not available, apg will display a message about it.
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198 None.
199
201 None. If you've found one, please send bug description to the author.
202
204 apgd(8), apgbfm(1)
205
207 Adel I. Mirzazhanov, <a-del@iname.com>
208 Project home page: http://www.adel.nursat.kz/apg/
209Automated Password Generator 2003 Aug 04 APG(1)