Password Generator CLI Tool

A secure and feature-rich password generator CLI tool built in Rust, specifically designed for macOS.

Features

• 🔐 Secure Password Generation: Uses cryptographically secure random number generation
• 📝 Passphrase Generation: Generate memorable passphrases from word lists
• 🔍 Password Strength Analysis: Check password strength with detailed analysis
• 📋 Clipboard Integration: Copy passwords directly to macOS clipboard
• 🎨 Multiple Output Formats: Plain text, Base64, and Hex encoding
• ⚙️ Customizable Options: Control character sets, length, and exclusions
• 🔒 Hash Generation: Generate SHA256, SHA512, and Base64 hashes

Installation

Method 1: Universal Installer (Recommended)

The easiest way to install on any platform:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/morshedulmunna/passgen/main/install-universal.sh | bash

Method 2: Homebrew (macOS)

# Add the tap (if using custom tap)
brew tap morshedulmunna/tap

# Install the tool
brew install passgen

Method 3: Cargo (Rust Package Manager)

cargo install passgen-cli

Method 4: Build from Source

1. Clone or download this repository

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd passgen
   

3. Build the project:

   cargo build --release
   

4. Install globally:

   cargo install --path .
   

Method 5: Manual Installation

1. Download the latest release for your platform from GitHub Releases

2. Extract the archive

3. Move the binary to a directory in your PATH:

   # For macOS/Linux
   sudo mv passgen /usr/local/bin/
   
   # Or for user installation
   mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
   mv passgen ~/.local/bin/
   echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
   source ~/.zshrc
   

Quick Start

After installation, try these commands:

# Generate a secure password
passgen generate --length 16 --copy

# Generate a memorable passphrase
passgen passphrase --words 4

# Check password strength
passgen check "MyPassword123!"

# Generate a hash
passgen hash "my-secret-string" --algorithm sha256

Usage

Generate Passwords

Generate a basic 16-character password:

passgen generate

Generate a 32-character password with specific character sets:

passgen generate --length 32 --uppercase --lowercase --numbers --special

Generate a password and copy to clipboard:

passgen generate --length 20 --copy

Generate a password in Base64 format:

passgen generate --length 16 --format base64

Exclude similar and ambiguous characters:

passgen generate --exclude-similar --exclude-ambiguous

Generate Passphrases

Generate a 4-word passphrase:

passgen passphrase

Generate a 6-word passphrase with numbers and special characters:

passgen passphrase --words 6 --numbers --special

Generate a passphrase with custom separator:

passgen passphrase --separator "-" --copy

Check Password Strength

Analyze a password:

passgen check "MyPassword123!"

Generate Hashes

Generate SHA256 hash:

passgen hash "my-secret-string"

Generate SHA512 hash:

passgen hash "my-secret-string" --algorithm sha512

Generate Base64 encoding:

passgen hash "my-secret-string" --algorithm base64

Command Options

Generate Command

• -l, --length <LENGTH>: Password length (default: 16)
• -u, --uppercase: Include uppercase letters
• -d, --lowercase: Include lowercase letters
• -n, --numbers: Include numbers
• -s, --special: Include special characters
• --exclude-similar: Exclude similar characters (l, 1, I, O, 0)
• --exclude-ambiguous: Exclude ambiguous characters
• -f, --format <FORMAT>: Output format (plain, base64, hex)
• -c, --copy: Copy to clipboard

Passphrase Command

• -w, --words <WORDS>: Number of words (default: 4)
• --separator <SEPARATOR>: Word separator (default: space)
• -n, --numbers: Include numbers
• -s, --special: Include special characters
• -c, --copy: Copy to clipboard

Check Command

• password: Password to analyze

Hash Command

• input: Input string to hash
• -a, --algorithm <ALGORITHM>: Hash algorithm (sha256, sha512, base64)

Examples

Strong Password for Online Banking

passgen generate --length 24 --uppercase --lowercase --numbers --special --exclude-similar --copy

Memorable Passphrase for Personal Use

passgen passphrase --words 5 --numbers --special --copy

Quick Password Check

passgen check "password123"

Generate API Key Hash

passgen hash "my-api-key" --algorithm sha256

Security Features

• Cryptographically Secure: Uses OsRng for true randomness
• Entropy Calculation: Measures password strength in bits
• Character Set Control: Fine-grained control over character types
• Pattern Detection: Identifies common weak patterns
• Exclusion Options: Avoid confusing or problematic characters

Password Strength Levels

• Very Weak: < 20 bits entropy
• Weak: 20-30 bits entropy
• Medium: 30-40 bits entropy
• Strong: 40-50 bits entropy
• Very Strong: > 50 bits entropy

Platform Support

• ✅ macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)
• ✅ Linux (x86_64 & ARM64)
• ✅ Windows (x86_64)

Troubleshooting

Clipboard Issues on macOS

If clipboard functionality doesn't work:

1. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility
2. Click the lock icon to make changes
3. Add your terminal application (Terminal, iTerm2, etc.)
4. Restart your terminal

Installation Issues

If you encounter installation problems:

1. Ensure you have the latest version of Rust installed
2. Try the universal installer: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/morshedulmunna/passgen/main/install-universal.sh | bash
3. Check the GitHub Issues for known problems

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Disclaimer

This tool is provided for educational and personal use. Always follow your organization's password policies and security guidelines. The authors are not responsible for any security issues arising from the use of this tool.