Password Generator — How-To Guide

Prerequisites: Setup complete (see SETUP.md).

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Table of Contents

1. How to Generate a Secure Random Password
2. How to Generate a Memorable Passphrase
3. How to Check an Existing Password's Strength
4. How to Generate Passwords for Different Situations
5. Automating with Cron
6. Combining with Other Skills
7. Troubleshooting Common Issues
8. Tips & Best Practices

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1. How to Generate a Secure Random Password

What this does: Creates a random password using Python's cryptographically secure secrets module. Guarantees at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one digit, and one special character.

When to use it: Creating a new account, changing an old weak password, or generating an API key or token.

Steps

Step 1 — Navigate to the skill directory.

cd ~/smfworks-skills/skills/password-generator

Step 2 — Generate a password at the default length (16 characters).

python3 main.py password

Output:

Generated password: K7#mX2@pQ9vR!nLw
Strength: Strong ✅
Entropy: 104.8 bits

Step 3 — Generate a longer password if needed.

For high-security accounts (banking, email, password manager master password), use a longer length:

python3 main.py password 24

Output:

Generated password: Xr9@mKp2#vQ7!nLwB4$tYc8&
Strength: Very Strong 💪
Entropy: 157.2 bits

Step 4 — Copy and store it.

Copy the password to your password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, KeePass, etc.) immediately. The skill doesn't save it anywhere.

Result: A cryptographically secure random password — the same quality as what dedicated password managers generate.

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2. How to Generate a Memorable Passphrase

What this does: Creates a sequence of random common words (XKCD style) with a random number appended. Easier to remember and type than a random character string.

When to use it: Computer login passwords, passwords you need to type by hand, WiFi passwords you'll read aloud to guests.

Steps

Step 1 — Navigate to the skill directory.

cd ~/smfworks-skills/skills/password-generator

Step 2 — Generate a 4-word passphrase (default).

python3 main.py passphrase

Output:

Generated passphrase: sunset-falcon-azure-mountain-47

Step 3 — Generate a longer passphrase for higher security.

python3 main.py passphrase 6

Output:

Generated passphrase: ocean-castle-blue-swift-jungle-crystal-83

Step 4 — Use it.

sunset-falcon-azure-mountain-47 is 30 characters — longer and more memorable than most random passwords. Type it in, add it to your password manager with the site name.

Result: A passphrase that's both secure and human-friendly.

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3. How to Check an Existing Password's Strength

What this does: Analyzes a password and returns a score (0–9), entropy in bits, strength rating, and specific suggestions for improvement.

When to use it: Auditing existing passwords you haven't changed in a while, or checking a password you created manually before using it.

Steps

Step 1 — Navigate to the skill directory.

cd ~/smfworks-skills/skills/password-generator

Step 2 — Run the check command.

Always wrap the password in quotes, especially if it contains special characters.

python3 main.py check "MyPassword123!"

Output:

Password: MyPassword123!
Length: 14
Strength: Strong ✅
Score: 7/9
Entropy: 91.8 bits

Step 3 — Check a weak password.

python3 main.py check "password"

Output:

Password: password
Length: 8
Strength: Weak ❌
Score: 2/9
Entropy: 37.6 bits

Suggestions:
  - Password is too short (minimum 8 characters)
  - Add uppercase letters
  - Add digits
  - Add special characters

Step 4 — Follow the suggestions to improve it.

Each suggestion tells you exactly what's missing. A "Very Strong" password needs all four character types and should be at least 16 characters.

Result: You know exactly how strong your password is and what to change to make it stronger.

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4. How to Generate Passwords for Different Situations

What this does: Different password contexts call for different types. Here's the right approach for each.

High-security accounts (banking, email, password manager)

Use a long random password — 20+ characters:

python3 main.py password 24

Generated password: Xr9@mKp2#vQ7!nLwB4$tYc8&
Strength: Very Strong 💪
Entropy: 157.2 bits

Computer login (typed regularly)

Use a passphrase — easier to type, equally secure:

python3 main.py passphrase 5

Generated passphrase: swift-harbor-crimson-falcon-blue-62

WiFi password (guests will type it)

Use a 5-word passphrase — easy to read aloud:

python3 main.py passphrase 5

API keys and tokens (never typed by hand)

Use a maximum-length random password — 32 characters:

python3 main.py password 32

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5. Automating with Cron

You can automate periodic password generation reminders or batch generation for system accounts.

Example: Generate and log a new service account password monthly

0 9 1 * * python3 /home/yourname/smfworks-skills/skills/password-generator/main.py password 24 >> /home/yourname/logs/password-generator.log 2>&1

Note: Logging passwords to files is only appropriate for service accounts that you immediately configure and rotate. Never store personal passwords in plain-text log files.

Example: Weekly strength reminder

Add a reminder to audit your passwords once a week by using a cron job that prints a reminder:

0 9 * * 1 echo "Reminder: Check your passwords at $(date)" >> /home/yourname/logs/security-reminders.log

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6. Combining with Other Skills

Password Generator + QR Generator: Generate a passphrase for WiFi, then create a QR code for guests:

# Generate the passphrase
python3 ~/smfworks-skills/skills/password-generator/main.py passphrase 4
# Output: sunset-falcon-azure-mountain-47

# Create the WiFi QR code using that passphrase
python3 ~/smfworks-skills/skills/qr-generator/main.py wifi 'MyNetwork' 'sunset-falcon-azure-mountain-47' ~/Desktop/wifi-qr.png

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7. Troubleshooting Common Issues

Error: check requires password

You ran check without a password argument.
Fix: python3 main.py check "your-password-here"

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The generated password was rejected by a website

Some websites have odd character restrictions (no !, no @, etc.).
Fix: Just run password again — each run generates a completely different password.

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I can't remember which password I generated

The skill doesn't store anything.
Fix: Always copy passwords directly into your password manager immediately after generating them. Never rely on scrollback in your terminal.

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Unknown command: generate

You used the wrong command name.
Fix: The correct commands are password, passphrase, and check.

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8. Tips & Best Practices

Never use password or passphrase for sensitive data in shell scripts that log to files. Passwords in log files are a security risk. Only use this skill interactively and copy the result directly to your password manager.

Use check to audit your important passwords now. Run check on your banking, email, and password manager master passwords. If any score below 6, change them.

Passphrases are underrated. A 5-word passphrase like swift-harbor-crimson-falcon-blue-62 is 35 characters long — stronger than most random 16-character passwords, and you can actually type it.

Generate longer passwords when it doesn't matter if you remember them. If you're storing a password in a manager anyway, use 24–32 characters. Length is free.

The skill uses secrets, not random. Python's random module is not suitable for security use — it's predictable. This skill uses secrets.choice() and secrets.SystemRandom() which are designed for cryptographic applications.

Double-check the password before closing your terminal. The skill doesn't save anything. If you close the window before copying, the password is gone.