Index for Section 3

Alphabetical listing for R

Bottom of page

randomword(3)
NAME
  randomword, randomchars, randomletters - Generate random passwords
  (Enhanced Security)

LIBRARY
  Security Library - libsecurity.so

SYNOPSIS
  int randomchars(
	  char *string,
	  unsigned short int minlen,
	  unsigned short int maxlen,
	  boolean restrict,
	  long seed);
  int randomletters(
	  char *string,
	  unsigned short int minlen,
	  unsigned short int maxlen,
	  boolean restrict,
	  long seed);
  int randomword(
	  char *word,
	  char *hyphenated_word,
	  unsigned short int minlen,
	  unsigned short int maxlen,
	  boolean restrict,
	  long seed);

PARAMETERS
  string    Points at a user-supplied space to contain a null-terminated
	    password.

  minlen    Specifies the minimum length that a generated word can have.

  maxlen    Specifies the maximum length that a generated word can have.

  restrict  Specifies whether restrictions are to be imposed on the generated
	    word.  This is a boolean integer, where a non-zero integer
	    indications restrictions and a 0 (zero) indicates no
	    restrictions.

  seed	    Specifies an initial seed for the random number generator.

  word	    Points at a user-supplied space to contain a null-terminated
	    random pronounceable password.

  hyphenated_word
	    Contains the hyphenated version of the generated word.

DESCRIPTION
  These functions generate random passwords for use in password selection.
  All of them are generated by the system, based on seeds and set in the
  function.  Such seeds can be created with the drand48(), rand(), or
  random() functions.

  The randomchars() function places a null-terminated password composed of
  random printable ASCII characters into the string parameter and returns the
  length of the generated string.  The minlen parameter can equal maxlen, but
  cannot be greater than maxlen, and cannot be negative.  The user space
  preallocated is at least maxlen for string.  The smaller minlen and maxlen
  are, the smaller the selection space of random words.

  The restrict parameter is 0 (zero) when no restrictions are placed on the
  generated word.  It is nonzero when the words generated pass the tests of
  the acceptable_password() function.

  The seed parameter is used by the function only on the first time it is
  called; the parameter is ignored on subsequent calls.

  The randomletters() function places a null-terminated password composed of
  random lower-case letters into the string parameter and returns the length
  of the generated word.  The minlen, maxlen, restrict, and seed parameters
  are the same as for the randomchars() function.

  The randomword() function places a null-terminated random pronounceable
  password into the word parameter and returns the length of the generated
  word.	 The minlen, maxlen, restrict, and seed parameters are the same as
  for the randomchars() and randomletters() functions.	The user space
  preallocated is at least 2*max - 1 for hyphenated_word.

NOTES
  The password generator relies on a random number generator that produces
  uniformly distributed integers.  Because the password generator invokes the
  random number generator many times even for one word, the random number
  generator has to produce a uniform distribution.  The period (distinct
  numbers produced given a particular seed) and number space (range of
  possible numbers) must both be large. The drand48() functions are used for
  this purpose.

  Programs using these functions must be compiled with -lsecurity.

FILES
  /etc/passwd
	    System password file.

  /etc/group
	    System group file.

RELATED INFORMATION
  Functions: acceptable_password(3), drand48(3), rand(3), random(3).

  Commands: login(1), passwd(1).

Index for Section 3

Alphabetical listing for R

Top of page