WAPG                              User Manual                             WAPG



NAME
       apg - generates several random passwords


SYNOPSIS
       apg  [-a  algorithm]  [-M  mode]  [-E char_string] [-n num_of_pass] [-m
       min_pass_len] [-x max_pass_len]  [-r  dictfile]  [-b  filter_file]  [-p
       min_substr_len] [-c  cl_seed] [-d] [-l] [-t] [-q] [-h] [-v]


DESCRIPTION
       apg generates several random passwords. It uses several password gener-
       ation  algorithms  (currently  two) and a built-in pseudo random number
       generator.

       Default  algorithm  is  pronounceable  password  generation   algorithm
       designed  by Morrie Gasser and described in A Random Word Generator For
       Pronounceable Passwords National Technical Information  Service  (NTIS)
       AD-A-017676.   The  original  paper  is very old and had never been put
       online, so I have to use NIST implementation described in FIPS-181.

       Another algorithm is simple random character generation algorithm,  but
       it  uses  four  user-defined symbol sets to produce random password. It
       means that user can choose type of symbols that should appear in  pass-
       word.  Symbol  sets are: numeric symbol set (0,...,9) , capital letters
       symbol set (A,...,Z) , small letters symbol set (a,...,z)  and  special
       symbols symbol set (#,@,!,...).

       Built-in  pseudo  random number generator is an implementation of algo-
       rithm described in Appendix C of ANSI X9.17 or RFC1750  with  exception
       that  it  uses CAST or SHA-1 instead of Triple DES.  It uses local time
       with precision of microseconds (see  gettimeofday(2))  and  /dev/random
       (if available) to produce initial random seed.

       apg  also  have  the  ability to check generated password quality using
       dictionary. You can  use  this  ability  if  you  specify  command-line
       options  -r  dictfile or -b filtername where dictfile is the dictionary
       file name and filtername is the name of Bloom filter file. In that dic-
       tionary  you  may  place words (one per line) that should not appear as
       generated passwords. For example: user names, common  words,  etc.  You
       even can use one of the dictionaries that come with dictionary password
       crackers.  Bloom filter file should be created with  apgbfm(1)  utility
       included  in  apg  distribution. In future releases I plan to implement
       some other techniques to check passwords (like pattern check)  just  to
       make life easier.


OPTIONS
   Password generation modes options
       -a algorithm
              use algorithm for password generation.
              0 - (default) pronounceable password generation
              1 - random character password generation

       -n num_of_pass
              generate num_of_pass number of passwords. Default is 6.

       -m min_pass_len
              generate   password   with   minimum  length  min_pass_len.   If
              min_pass_len > max_pass_len then  max_pass_len  =  min_pass_len.
              Default minimum password length is 8.

       -x max_pass_len
              generate   password   with   maximum  length  max_pass_len.   If
              min_pass_len > max_pass_len then  max_pass_len  =  min_pass_len.
              Default maximum password length is 10.

       -M mode
              Use  symbolsets  specified  with  mode  for password generation.
              mode is a text string consisting of characters S, s, N, n, C, c,
              L, l. Where:

              S      generator must use special symbol set for every generated
                     password.

              s      generator should use special symbol set for password gen-
                     eration.

              N      generator must use numeral symbol set for every generated
                     password.

              n      generator should use numeral symbol set for password gen-
                     eration.

              C      generator must use capital symbol set for every generated
                     password.

              c      generator should use capital symbol set for password gen-
                     eration.

              L      generator  must  use  small  letters symbol set for every
                     generated password (always present if pronounceable pass-
                     word generation algorithm is used).

              l      generator  should  use small letters symbol set for pass-
                     word generation.

              R,r    not  supported  any  more.  Use  -E  char_string   option
                     instead.
              mode can not be more than 4 characters in length.

              Note:
              Usage  of L, M, N, C will slow down password generation process.

              Examples:
              -M sncl or -M SNCL or -M Cn

       -E char_string
              exclude characters in char_string from password generation  pro-
              cess  (in  pronounceable  password  generation  mode you can not
              exclude small letters). To include special symbols that  can  be
              recognized  by  shell (apostrophe, quotes, dollar sign, etc.) in
              char_string use the backslashed versions.

              Examples:

              Command apg -a 1 -M n -n 3 -m 8 -E 23456789 will generate a  set
              of passwords that will look like this
              10100110
              01111000
              11011101

              Command  apg  -a 1 -M nc -n 3 -m 26 -E GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ will
              generate a set of passwords that will look like this
              16A1653CD4DE5E7BD9584A3476
              C8F78E06944AFD57FB9CB882BC
              8C8DF37CD792D36D056BBD5002

   Password quality control options
       -r dictfile
              check generated passwords for their appearance in dictfile

       -b filter_file
              check  generated  passwords for their appearance in filter_file.
              filter_file should be created with apgbfm(1) utility.

       -p min_substr_len
              this option tells apg(1) to check every substring of the  gener-
              ated password for appearance in filter_file. If any of such sub-
              strings would be found in the filter_file then  generated  pass-
              word  would  be  rejected  and apg(1) will generate another one.
              min_substr_len specifies  minimum  substring  length  to  check.
              This option is active only if -b option is defined.

   Pseudo random number generator options
       -c cl_seed
              use  cl_seed  as a random seed for password generation. I use it
              when i have to generate passwords in a shell script.

   Password output options
       -d     do NOT use any delimiters between generated passwords. I use  it
              when i have to generate passwords in a shell script.

       -q     quiet mode (do not print warnings)

       -l     spell genetated passwords. Useful when you want to  read  gener-
              ated password by telephone.
              WARNING: Think twice before read your password by phone.

       -t     print pronunciation for generated pronounceable password

       -h     print help information and exit

       -v     print version information and exit

DEFAULT OPTIONS
       apg -a 0 -M sncl -n 6 -x 10 -m 8 (new style)

       If  you want to generate really secure passwords, you should use option
       -s.

EXIT CODE
       On  successful completion of its task, apg will complete with exit code
       0.  An exit code of -1 indicates an error occurred.  Textual errors are
       written to the standard error stream.

FILES
       None.

BUGS
       None.   If you've found one, please send bug description to the author.

SEE ALSO
       wapgbfm.txt

AUTHOR
       Adel I. Mirzazhanov, <a-del@iname.com>
       Project home page: http://www.adel.nursat.kz/apg/



Automated Password Generator      2003 Aug 04                             WAPG
