Password Safe for maemo

[PeteW]

I've just released the first beta of a port (well, re-write really - the original is very windows based) of Password Safe (http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/) originally by Bruce Schneier (http://www.schneier.com/).

It keeps a small encrypted list of usernames, passwords and associated notes. It should be functional, but please don't use it as the sole storage place for anything too important just yet!

Details (http://www.holistech.co.uk/pwsafe.php)
770 ready install kit (http://www.holistech.co.uk/sw/pwsafe/pwsafe_1.0-0beta_arm.deb)

All feedback welcome, particularly around the main things keeping it a beta - testing the stability and binary compatibility with the original application, and probably some user interface improvements.

Have Fun!

[Reggie]

Thanks for this Pete! I have been missing SplashID on the 770 and I guess this can be a good replacement.

Here are some prliminary suggestions:
1. Clicking on an entry will just show it's details (not editable). An Edit/delete button will let you edit/delete the entry.
2. Request for a list view and a filter dropdown based on categories.
3. Graphical icons(?)
4. Full screen button support
5. Specify default file to open upon run.

Any way you can upload this to the itT software area?

Thanks again.

[PeteW]

Thanks - all good ideas.

I'll have a think about categories. The file structure doesn't support them at the moment, but it might be a better way of presenting the group field - more versatile than the strict tree structure of the original.

Keep the ideas coming folks!

[myet01]

If you have not done so, I would add this to the Software section.

[PeteW]

uploaded here (http://www.internettablettalk.com/software/fileinfo.php?id=32) ... and upgraded. Now:

Entry view defaults to read only
Reopens last file on restart (doesn't remember password - data stays encrypted between runs)

[darcon]

Thanks for the great app Pete!
copied over a password file from windows pwsafe and it works perfectly.

My only gripe is that when you're viewing an entry you can only see the first 13 characters of a password, and some of my passwords are alot longer then that :p It would be nice if the password was shown on it's own line.

[fredoll]

Works great for me.
I used to have Keyring on my palm : I modified a java viewer to allow export to XML
I then imported my data in PasswordSafeSWT (Java) and copied the file to my 770 !
O Fred

[pdafan]

This is a good application and it works very well for a beta. Here are some questions, observations and suggestions. Please do not take them as criticism:

- I get a small window that says "Save failed" if I select "Save as..." and then hit "cancel". Should the file requestor not just go away instead?

- After selecting a password entry from the list, there is no default highlighted for the "OK/Password/Edit" buttons at the bottom of the window. This forces the use of the stylus to make the window go away. Sometimes it is possible to use the arrow keys to highlight the buttons and then select "OK", but it doesn't seem to always work. In any case, it seems like extra work. It would be nice to have "OK" highlighted by default so then one could hit the middle button in the keypad to make the window go away. As a bonus, the "Escape" button could also make it go away.

- It would be nice to reorder the buttons in the password entry windows to have the "Password" buttons on the left, then "Edit" and finally "Done" on the right. This way one wouldn't have to reach across the screen to hit "OK". Then again, I'm right handed.

- It would be nice to have a dot next to the menu options showing the current selection between "Small icons" and "Large icons."

- How does one delete an entry?

- What is the "X" icon for in the bottom menu bar? It seems to close the database but not the application. The button at the top right of the window seems sufficient to close the application. Maybe there could be a small "trash can" icon or something to delete an entry?

- The database closes when you close the cover on the 770. Is this a feature? I suppose it's nice so a stranger can't just pick up the device and find the password list wide open.

- It might be nice to have a "find" feature for when there are many screenfuls of passwords.

Overall this is a great app! Thanks again for porting it.

[PeteW]

darcon:
I agree. The view entry screen doesn't work as well as it should - everything is too small. I'll see what I can do.

pdafan:
Great feedback - thanks.
The delete button only appears when you are editing an entry... bit of a usecrime really.
The close database on cover close is a feature (one I really want) but should be an option.

[Dirk]

It's a great application. I think Nokia should include it if it is out of beta status.

A nice extra feature would be a status bar icon with a dropdown menu if clicked to browse the passwords. This would allow faster searching if you need a password in your browser window: just go out of full screen, select the account from the icon, paste the copied password in the browser (maybe a paste button would be nice in opera).
The dropdown menu could consist of you password groups or a alphabetical list to scroll through.

Example:
1. Click icon in status bar.
2. Menu appears with: "A" and any other active accounts with other letters.
3. Choos "A": list with account appear: "Amazon", "Anything"
4. When you select "Amazon" a new menu appears allowing "Copy username", "Copy password", "Copy special entry 1..10"(?), "Edit".

P.S.: could the application use the builtin nokia pin menu. Is this application even available for other apps?

[z2n]

Is there any plan for a release of pwsafe that will support version 3 data? The current version cannot read or write files from a Linux desktop installation of pws, version 3.

I've compiled pws (from http://www.pwsafe.de/) in the scratchbox (using Qt4) and installed it on my N810. It runs, but it claims that the unlock passphrase is always incorrect. A native or "Hildonized" version would be much better.

[didjit86]

A work around that I did:

Password Gorilla can read PW Safe files (2 and 3). http://www.fpx.de/fp/Software/Gorilla/ PWG has an option to safe in version 2 format. Save in V2, then copy the password file to the NXXX and open with Maemo PWS. You will loose the v3 fields, but the main ones that matter are there.

HTH

Didjit

[frasej]

Thanks for mentioning Gorilla. I just tried it and am pleasantly surprised. I needed something to be able to edit my PWSafe files on my PC.

[carls]

The link to the updated version gives a 404 error.

Or is that a security trick? <g>

[danramos]

Is there any way that pwsafe can be set up to generate a good safe and easy to remember (pronounceable) password for you automatically (say, by calling agp from the command line and passing it onto the password field for you)?

I suppose this is more of a feature request since it doesn't look like it can do it.

[zimon]

I'd like to have something like this (http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p=583548&postcount=4).
So dbus-interface to Password Safe.

[noetus]

Are people still using this app? I am.. Is the developer still interested in updating it? I hope so, as there as a nasty bug which can cause the app to delete data - it has happened to me several times. Actually there may be more than one.

If you are entering new data and the timeout is activated, requiring you to enter the master password again, and you either (1) exit the program without entering the password, or (2) enter the password and then exit the program, thinking your newly-entered data will automatically be saved, IT WON'T. You MUST manually save before exiting - normally the program DOES auto-save before exiting, and so this can be very bad - lulling you into thinking it will catch unsaved data, then not saving it in this specific situation.

Solution: if you use this program, SAVE MANUALLY EVERY TIME YOU ENTER DATA before exiting. Otherwise you will lose data, sooner or later.

There appears to be another bug related to the master password timeout. I have had a situation where I have been entering new data, and the password timeout activated. Upon entering the password and going back into the program, there was NO option to save my earlier-entered data. The only options on the menu were 'New', 'Open...', and 'Open Last' as if it had been newly started without any file to open at all. And yet I had just been entering data on an open file and it is even still displayed! So this was very bad too, as I there was no way for me to save my data even though I had remembered to do it manually, and I lost all new changes.

Solution: Manually save your data not only before exiting the program, but before the master password timeout has had a chance to activate - which can be tricky, since the timeout is quite short.

I have also noticed that the application sometimes won't accept my password after the timeout, even though I am entering it correctly, and I have to kill the app. So there is something funky about the master password timeout, so basically make sure that your data is in a complete saved state before the timeout ever activates.

[Andre Klapper]

Are people still using this app? I am.. Is the developer still interested in updating it? I hope so, as there as a nasty bug which can cause the app to delete data

What's the bug number in bugs.maemo.org?

[noetus]

There doesn't appear to be one.

[kureyon]

You need to file a bug report so Andre can close it as "Fixed in WP8" ;)

[peter2p]

Speaking of passwords, a few days ago i found an article (http://my-maemo.com/faq/showquestion.php?fldAuto=36&faq=5) on My-Maemo.com
about passwords stored in the built-in Web browser.
I tried the command
chrome://passwordmgr/content/passwordManager.xul
in the address bar and it showed me all the passwords when
i hit the "Show passwords" button, even could delete a double entry.