pwgen

Introduction

pwgen is a CLI for generating random passwords of varying length and content.

Installation

Arch Based Systems

With an AUR Manager

If you are using an arch based system, you can install the pwgen package from the AUR (Arch User Repository). (Not yet available!)

An AUR manager like yay may be used for an easy installation:

$ yay -S pwgen

Without an AUR manager

If you do not want to use an AUR manager, here is how to compile and install the package manually:

Download the PKGBUILD file from this repository or from the pwgen AUR site and move it to some folder.

Navigate into this folder using:

$ cd path-to-the-folder

Now use the makepkg command to download the source files and compile the package:

$ makepkg

After you are done creating the package, you should have many files including a .pkg.tar.zst archive. This is your compressed ready to use pwgen package, which can now be installed using pacman.

$ sudo pacman -U path-to-your-archive

The folder and its contents used for the installation process may now be deleted.

Other Systems (PKGBUILD file is not used)

A dpkg-buildpackage file might be added at some point, but for now the installation must be done manually.

Make sure git is installed on your system. First clone the source files from this git repository:

$ git clone https://git.kske.dev/DieGurke/pwgen.git

Navigate into the folder using:

$ cd pwgen/

Now copy the shell script into the /usr/bin/ folder on your system:

$ sudo cp pwgen.sh /usr/local/bin/pwgen

Now the README.md and the LICENSE files have to be copied to the appropriate folders on your system:

$ sudo mkdir /usr/share/doc/pwgen
$ sudo cp README.md /usr/share/doc/pwgen/README.md

$ sudo mkdir /usr/share/licenses/pwgen
$ sudo cp LICENSE /usr/share/licenses/pwgen/LICENSE

pwgen is now installed on your system, thus the folder you are in right now used for the installation might be deleted.

Usage

pwgen is very easy to use:

The general command structure for generating passwords is as follows:

$ pwgen [length] [mode]

Please note that the mode argument can be empty, in which case it is defaulted to full.

If you just enter pwgen into the console, the program will provide you with information about the usage and further explanation on what modes are available.

Usage: pwgen [length] [mode]

Available modes:
  numbers        	Generates password containing only numbers
  lower          	Generates password containing only lower letters
  upper          	Generates password containing only upper letters
  letters        	Generates password containing only letters
  letters-numbers	Generates password containing only letters and ners
  full           	Generates password containing letters, numbers and symbols