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APGD(8)				  User Manual			       APGD(8)

NAME
       apgd - server that generates several random passwords

SYNOPSIS
       apgd  [-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] [-k] [-t] [-l]

DESCRIPTION
       apgd  program  is  a  server that supports Password Generation Protocol
       described in RFC972.  It uses several  password	generation  algorithms
       (currently two) and a built-in pseudo random number generator.

       apgd  is	 normally  invoked by the Internet superserver (see inetd (8))
       for requests to connect to the pwdgen port (pwdgen port is 129  accord‐
       ing  to	RFC1700 ) as indicated by the /etc/services file (see services
       (5)).

       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.

       apgd  also  have	 the ability to check generated password quality using
       dictionary. You can use this ability if you specify command-line option
       -r dictfile or -b filtername where dictfile is dictionary file name and
       filtername is the name of Bloom filter file. In that dictionary you may
       place  words  (one  per line) that should not appear as generated pass‐
       words. 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 tech‐
       niques to check passwords just to make life easier.

       apgd has the ability log user password generation activity and internal
       debug information. It does this using
       facility = daemon
	      priority = info for user password generation activity logging
	      priority = debug for internal debug information
       See  the syslogd(8) and syslog.conf(5) man pages for information on how
       to configure your syslog daemon.

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
	      process  (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 apgd -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  apgd -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
       -k     check every generated password using cracklib. To use this abil‐
	      ity you must enable cracklib support during programm building.

       -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 is specifies minimum substring length  to	check.
	      This option is active only if -b option is defined.

   Password output options
       -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

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

EXIT CODE
       On successful completion of its task, apgd will complete with exit code
       0.  An exit code of -1 indicates an error occurred.  Textual errors are
       written to the syslogd (8).

DIAGNOSTICS
       All textual info is written to the syslogd(8).

FILES
       None.

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

SEE ALSO
       apg(1), apgbfm(1)

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

Automated Password Generator	  2003 Aug 4			       APGD(8)
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