fawkesley/python-diceware

Generate a Diceware-style passphrase in Python or on the command-line. See http://www.diceware.com

Generate Diceware Passphrase

NOT READY FOR PRIMETIME

Generate a random, memorable pass-phrase, for example kirby bang basin flux chill memo

Inspired by the excellent [http://diceware.com](Diceware method).

WARNING Using a computer to generate your passphrases is not as secure as rolling physical die with a paper reference of the diceware list.

Depending on your appetite for security vs convenience, you should consider actually rolling die, or at the very least read this section on levels of security on the diceware website. It's quite an interesting read.

If you are looking for a convenient way to generate passphrases, you're confident that this code isn't dodgy (you can look) and that your computer is not being spied on, this could be for you :)

Example Usage

As a Python module:

from diceware import generate_passphrase
print(generate_passphrase())

As a command-line tool:

> diceware

Installation

> pip install diceware

Technical stuff

This is implemented against the advice of, but in accordance with the suggestions on the Diceware website, namely:

• uses os.urandom() for entropy, which is preferable to Python's (less secure random module).
• uses the 2^13 long wordlist diceware8k.txt of mostly English words

python-diceware's Issues

Use the 7776 long word list if possible

If the SystemRandom.choice() isn't biased, then there's no benefit to using the 8192-long wordlist.

It would be better to use the standard wordlist length to make it easier to support different languages.

Don't generate passphrases fewer than 17 characters long

From the diceware homepage: "Because some words on the diceware list are two characters or less, you can get a very short passphrase. If your passphrase, including the spaces between the words, is less than 17 characters long, we recommend that you start over and create a new passphrase."