Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcupt1!hpisod2!decot
From: decot@hpisod2.HP.COM (Dave Decot)
Newsgroups: comp.org.usenix
Subject: Re: "genp" utility on Usenix distribution is all buggered
Message-ID: <5630007@hpisod2.HP.COM>
Date: 3 Mar 88 04:03:57 GMT
References: <1988Mar1.153816.8030@lsuc.uucp>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 22

> Scanning the Usenix distribution tape tar list the other day, I noticed
> "Utilities/Genp".  Lo and behold, it's the same program, complete
> with the text of my article to net.sources (<325@lsuc.UUCP>, 24 Jan 85).
> But some joker has mucked up the source.  They've added punctuation, numbers
> and upper case, all of which go against the whole point of making the
> passwords pronounceable.

This is presumably to make genp useful by non-superusers on System V systems.
There, passwords must have "at least six digits" and contain at least
one numeric or special character to be acceptable to the passwd(1)
command.  These requirements are basically intended to defeat
pronounceable passwords.

> And, for some peculiar reason, they've added
> the LITERAL strings "consonant", "punctuation", "vowel" and "number"
> to the list of consonants, so you now get passwords like
> 	punctuation#ayzeconsonantUu
> (I kid you not -- I just got this one).  Real Bright.

Surprisingly, System V does not require these to be in your password. :-)

Dave Decot
hpda!decot