pwd.sh is a Bash shell script to manage passwords and other text-based secrets.
It uses GnuPG to symmetrically (i.e., using a passphrase) encrypt and decrypt plaintext files.
Each password is encrypted individually as a randomly-named file in the "safe" directory. An encrypted index is used to map usernames to the respective password file. Both the index and password files can also be decrypted directly with GnuPG without this script.
For the latest version, clone the repository or download the script directly:
git clone https://github.com/drduh/pwd.sh
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/drduh/pwd.sh/master/pwd.shVersioned Releases are also available.
Run the script interactively using ./pwd.sh or symlink to a directory in PATH:
wto write a passwordrto read a passwordlto list passwordsbto create an archive for backuphto print the help text
Options can also be passed on the command line.
Create a 20-character password for userName:
./pwd.sh w userName 20Read password for userName:
./pwd.sh r userNamePasswords are stored with an epoch timestamp for revision control. The most recent version is copied to clipboard on read. To list all passwords or read a specific version of a password:
./pwd.sh l
./pwd.sh r userName@1574723600Create an archive for backup:
./pwd.sh bRestore an archive from backup:
tar xvf pwd*tarSeveral customizable options and features are also available, and can be configured with environment variables, for example in the shell rc file:
| Variable | Description | Default | Available options |
|---|---|---|---|
PWDSH_COPY |
clipboard to use | xclip |
pbcopy on macOS |
PWDSH_COPY_ARGS |
arguments to pass to clipboard command | unset (disabled) | -i -selection clipboard to use primary (control-v) clipboard with xclip |
PWDSH_TIME |
seconds to clear password from clipboard/screen | 10 |
any valid integer |
PWDSH_LEN |
default password length | 14 |
any valid integer |
PWDSH_COPY |
copy password to clipboard before write | unset (disabled) | 1 or true to enable |
PWDSH_DAILY |
create daily backup archive on write | unset (disabled) | 1 or true to enable |
PWDSH_CHARS |
character set for passwords | [:alnum:]!?@#$%^&*();:+= |
any valid characters |
PWDSH_COMMENT |
unencrypted comment to include in index and safe files | unset | any valid string |
PWDSH_DEST |
password output destination, will set to screen without clipboard |
clipboard |
clipboard or screen |
PWDSH_ECHO |
character used to echo password input | * |
any valid character |
PWDSH_SAFE |
safe directory name | safe |
any valid string |
PWDSH_INDEX |
index file name | pwd.index |
any valid string |
PWDSH_BACKUP |
backup archive file name | pwd.$hostname.$today.tar |
any valid string |
PWDSH_PEPPER |
file containing "pepper" value, see Detail 1 | unset (disabled) | any valid file path |
See config/gpg.conf for additional GnuPG options.
Also see drduh/Purse - a fork which integrates with YubiKey instead of using a passphrase.
-
The "pepper" is an additional string appended to the main passphrase to improve its strength. When the
PWDSH_PEPPERoption is enabled, a secret value is generated and displayed once, then saved to the respective file.The pepper should be written down (can be transcribed with either passphrase.html or passphrase.csv template) and stored in a durable location for backup.
It is the opinion of the author this feature allows the use of a more memorable, weaker main passphrase without compromising overall security, provided the pepper is backed up separately from the safe.
Warning The pepper file is not included in backup archives - without the pepper, the safe will not be accessible with the main passphrase alone! This feature is opt-in and the pepper has no effect unless explicitly enabled.