[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Intent to Rewrite: pwgen



On Thu, 31 May 2001 tytso@valinux.com wrote:

> I've already rewritten the core parts of the password generator from
> scratch, and it's already producing better passwords (resolving Debian
> bugs #66006 and #70058) than the original.  What's currently missing is
> the command-line options parser (front-end interface) and man page, and
> other fussy items like that.

Great!

> 1)  Is it important that I maintain compatibility with the existing
>     command-line interface?  I'd much rather use one which is a bit more
>     user-friendly.  However, if there are a largish number of scripts
>     that are depending on the existing command-line interface, I'd like
>     to know that.

Although backward compatibilily is always nice there aren't any Debian
specific scripts using pwgen that I know of.
On the over hand, I know several people (myself included) who use pwgen in
custom scripts to create new user accounts.

> 2)  Once this code is finished, will Debian be willing to use this
>     codebase to replace the existing pwgen package?

Certainly.
That'll be a nice occasion to get rid of the most problematic bug of this
package (the licensing issue).

> 3)  Is the maintainer of pwgen still active?  The bugs database and
>     package changelog seem to indicate that there hasn't been any
>     activity in the pwgen in quite a while, and the last upload was an
>     NMU.

I'm trying to remain active through currently mostly buried alive in
real-life work and email-backlog.

> 4)  Are there any other requirements/features you'd like to see in a
>     program like pwgen?

- possible extra options:
  - avoid "confusing characters": 0,O,I,1,5,S
  - accept to generate passwords with more than 16 chars.
  - preserve the current '-s' option (code for it has been written by
Bruce Perens and slightly changed by me, so this part of the code has no
copyright problem)

Cordialement,

--
Vincent RENARDIAS
Directeur Technique
E-FB2 / http://www.efb2.com



Reply to: