Author Topic: Best password manager? (Read 129670 times)

perlguy · « **Reply #25 on:** December 07, 2007, 12:49 PM »

PasswordSafe - started by Bruce Schneier, noted security expert (http://www.schneier.com/passsafe.html). Now open source http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/, and there are compatible apps available for java and linux platforms.

I wouldn't trust my passwords to any other program.

The only thing it doesn't do itself is to launch a url AND autotype, together... so I wrote an AHK macro to do that for me. CTRL-L, popup a simple dialog to continue once the page is loaded, then switch back to pwsafe to CTRL-T.

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention, the autotype on Windows works with just about any app, not just IE or Firefox... I use it for all my passwords, not just websites. You can customize the autotype sequence as well, so for sites that have more than just username/password, you can adapt.

justice · « **Reply #26 on:** December 07, 2007, 04:26 PM »

@ keepass Yeah I used keepass for what must be years now but it takes too many clicks to fill out a login form don't you think? It's just too much hassle to store new passwords in it due to lack of integration. And now that the new version is cross platform i don't see that change?

Passwordsafe looks promising then!

CleverCat · « **Reply #27 on:** December 08, 2007, 08:48 AM »

KeePass does it for me...

wiiiindy · « **Reply #28 on:** December 08, 2007, 03:30 PM »

My personal choice is eWallet by Iliumsoft. It has flaws but keeps all passwords in a hierarchial format (if desired), it pastes the ID and password into web pages (if the page is launched from eWallet), and the biggest reason I use it - it syncs with my Palm T|X. It also has formats for many other kinds of personal information that you might want to keep with you on the PDA but should be encrypted - bank account numbers and pins, family SSNs, etc. If it would allow drap and drop onto web pages it would be near perfect for me (see KeyWallet below).

I also use KeyWallet. It allows you to drag and drop the ID and Password both at the same time into web pages. For that reason it is often handier than eWallet so I keep the most commonly used ID/passwords in both with hot keys to get them open quickly. If I keep the number of passwords in KeyWallet small, they all fit on the screen without scrolling making for a really quick open, drag, drop for logging into web sites.

I tried RoboForm a while back and don't remember what I didn't like about it except that it was more a form filler than a password manager (as stated earlier in this thread). It also doesn't sync with Palm. That is a major requirement for me.

I am not really interested in trying others unless someone knows a good one that is also a form-filler AND syncs with Palm OS. Then I would jump in a minute -- maybe even pay for it!

Josh · « **Reply #29 on:** December 08, 2007, 03:38 PM »

Roboform does sync with palm, they have a separate license for it. Also, the name of the program is RoboForm, and as such, form filling is its primary strength.

wiiiindy · « **Reply #30 on:** December 08, 2007, 03:45 PM »

Maybe it was that I didn't want to pay for it twice - once for Palm and once for Windows. I'll give it another look.

Thanks.

lothark · « **Reply #31 on:** December 09, 2007, 02:08 AM »

Used Whisper for many years but switched to KeePass earlier this year and like it. The availability of a conversion tool for my several hundred passwords was a key factor in the choice. I did briefly try Roboform in between, but I must be a klutz because I could not get it to work the way it should. Anyway, sounding a little like sour grapes, I'm somewhat wary of apps that automatically fill in login info, even if it is done securely. I don't find the extra effort of opening KeePass and doing Ctrl-B, Ctrl-C for the login and password a chore.

mnemonic · « **Reply #32 on:** December 09, 2007, 05:37 AM »

Yes, I've been using KeePass for years - once you get used to the extra work required to set-up the auto-type information for each important password, hitting a hotkey populates the data just as Roboform does. I use KeePass for a lot more than just passwords though - registration codes can be kept in the notes section, along with an attached copy of the original email. You can also store all your bank details and other private information there too.

I still use Roboform for holding my contacts list though, which is very useful functionality.

My only concern is the .NET development path that KeePass 2 is heading down, altough is no big deal as Password Safe can easily import a KeePass file if this ever becomes a problem. Would love to move to Password Safe, but it just doesn't quite have KeePass' functionality and usability yet.

TucknDar · « **Reply #33 on:** December 09, 2007, 05:44 AM »

KeePass 1 for me. Has been for quite a while, and I don't see any reason to switch. It's portable too, which is nice.

vegas · « **Reply #34 on:** December 09, 2007, 07:43 AM »

Yes, I've been using KeePass for years - once you get used to the extra work required to set-up the auto-type information for each important password, hitting a hotkey populates the data just as Roboform does. I use KeePass for a lot more than just passwords though - registration codes can be kept in the notes section, along with an attached copy of the original email. You can also store all your bank details and other private information there too.

I still use Roboform for holding my contacts list though, which is very useful functionality.

My only concern is the .NET development path that KeePass 2 is heading down, altough is no big deal as Password Safe can easily import a KeePass file if this ever becomes a problem. Would love to move to Password Safe, but it just doesn't quite have KeePass' functionality and usability yet.
-mnemonic (December 09, 2007, 05:37 AM)

And what exactly are the negative concerns with .NET framework in use? Seems many useful programs have gone this path... (I am seriously asking as I am just an end-user)

f0dder · « **Reply #35 on:** December 09, 2007, 07:53 AM »

And what exactly are the negative concerns with .NET framework in use? Seems many useful programs have gone this path... (I am seriously asking as I am just an end-user)
-vegas (December 09, 2007, 07:43 AM)

Higher memory usage, somewhat longer application load time (and a serious hit for the first-time load of the dotNET framework after a system reboot). For the most part, performance while running isn't too bad, and not something you will notice at all for normal apps.

mnemonic · « **Reply #36 on:** December 09, 2007, 08:21 AM »

And what exactly are the negative concerns with .NET framework in use? Seems many useful programs have gone this path... (I am seriously asking as I am just an end-user)
-vegas (December 09, 2007, 07:43 AM)

My only concern is from a purely personal point-of-view as we use Windows 2000 at work, which doesn't have the .NET framework installed.

rjbull · « **Reply #37 on:** December 09, 2007, 03:19 PM »

I am not really interested in trying others unless someone knows a good one that is also a form-filler AND syncs with Palm OS.
-wiiiindy (December 08, 2007, 03:30 PM)

I admit KeePass isn't really a form-filler like RoboForm. But, you can convert KeePass passwords for Palm via the KeePass to Keyring converter.

pencoe · « **Reply #38 on:** December 10, 2007, 01:04 AM »

I'm using KeePass right now. For anything that KeePass does not do on its own (like starting something and then doing autotype) i'm using AutoHotKey (hey, how can you live without it?).

Best thing on KeePass: there is a WinMobile App and the .kdb-file can be sync'd with my PDA

Bye, Peter

Nxqd3051990 · « **Reply #39 on:** December 12, 2007, 06:02 AM »

I'm using Opera which not work with AIRoboform so I try to use keepass ^^. Does it have any keepass plugins for Opera ?

rjbull · « **Reply #40 on:** December 13, 2007, 03:32 AM »

I'm using Opera which not work with AIRoboform so I try to use keepass ^^. Does it have any keepass plugins for Opera ?
-Nxqd3051990 (December 12, 2007, 06:02 AM)

I don't think so, though you should check the KeePass Web site for plugins etc. However, you shouldn't really need them. You have to go to your browser, click in the first box you want filled, then Alt-Tab to KeePass and press Ctrl-V, or use the KeePass global hotkey if you've configured it along with the window title for autofill.

e712 · « **Reply #41 on:** December 14, 2007, 01:02 PM »

The website below hosts the windows apps cryptnote and PassPack.

I used a CSV text file and cryptnote until I had over 120 passwords sorted into 18 categories. A master copy was kept on my linux box; cryptnote works well under wine; I would ssh-transfer the file to work and to my laptop and my USB drive when it was updated. Very tiny text editor that keeps decoded text file in memory. No find/search ability. Manual cut and paste. The remote copy is a good backup for the usb drive.

The same author has a app called PassPack. I'm testing it out now. This has a search function. Effortless import of the CSV file. The nth function key puts the nth entry of the record on the clipboard. My old CSV file was freeform--sometimes the password was 3rd, sometimes 4th. Same coordination strategy. Displays using wine, but I'm having trouble with the function keys using icewm.

http://members.ozema.../freeware/index.html

Brows · « **Reply #42 on:** December 16, 2007, 11:35 AM »

I tried Roboform. It's the best form filler imho, but I had some 'activation' problems with it... so I've installed one of free alternatives (formautofiller.com).

kfcrosby · « **Reply #43 on:** December 17, 2007, 08:50 AM »

Robo gets my vote

katykaty · « **Reply #44 on:** December 17, 2007, 02:33 PM »

Am I the only person in the world using Password Agent?

superboyac · « **Reply #45 on:** December 17, 2007, 03:58 PM »

RoboForm is my choice as well, by far. But like everyone said, you have to be clear of the application. ROboForm's primary strength is how easy it is to fill forms AND password/logins on webpages. If you're simply looking for a program to store passwords, that's entirely different and there are probably several free programs available for that. But for automatically filling passwords on webpages, it would be hard to beat RoboForm. I love it.
Yes, it has a weird online activation routine, but I didn't have a problem with it.

Lashiec · « **Reply #46 on:** December 17, 2007, 04:37 PM »

Another vote for KeePass. Until now I had been using the ultimate password manager, ya know, that little grey thing in the skull, but unfortunately being a multitask app which does everything but not everything right, it's been increasingly harder for me to keep up with them, I even forgot the other day my password for the Debian server in the college, how embarrassing. Fortunately, the teacher deleted the old account and I could get in again.

So time for going with a password manager. I didn't have to try all the other ones, as I have previous experiences with KeePass, and I really liked what I saw there. I tried RoboForm in the past as well, but (don't shoot me) I couldn't figure out how to use it, and the app seemed awkward to me (I hope the Shamurai is not reading this...

). So KeePass does what I want, storing passwords in a strong protected database, and doing all the autofilling I need (user+password). It even works with Opera, so I couldn't be happier. Besides, it's free.

One thing I didn't see mentioned about KeePass is the incredible quality not only of the product, but also the entire ecosystem around it, I mean, things like the website and the plugins. Everything is well designed, attractive and informative, this is nothing that frequent in OSS. The icon theme BTW is lovable

, very KDE-like. This is just a perfect example of what good open source software can be.

Perhaps the unique problem is that it does not detect forms as it should sometimes, oh well, at least it's better than previous scheme

PD: And that it does not let you add various URLs and/or title(s) per entry, unfortunately some of the sites I go to have various login points in there, I suppose I could find a generic window name in all of them, it could not be that difficult.

Armando · « **Reply #47 on:** December 17, 2007, 11:45 PM »

Am I the only person in the world using Password Agent?
-katykaty (December 17, 2007, 02:33 PM)

How does it compare with keepass and roboform, or even formautofiller ?

mnemonic · « **Reply #48 on:** December 18, 2007, 03:44 AM »

PD: And that it does not let you add various URLs and/or title(s) per entry, unfortunately some of the sites I go to have various login points in there, I suppose I could find a generic window name in all of them, it could not be that difficult.
-Lashiec (December 17, 2007, 04:37 PM)

You can have as many "Auto-Type-Window:" clauses as you want in each entry. This is useful for things like Google, where the same username/password is used for mail, calendar etc. Although, yes, you can only have one URL per entry.

rjbull · « **Reply #49 on:** December 18, 2007, 04:18 AM »

I've installed one of free alternatives (formautofiller.com).
-Brows (December 16, 2007, 11:35 AM)

IE only? Not even Firefox as well?