How do I use simple passwords?

asked 2015-03-25 17:07:49 -0600

natxo
71 ●2 ●2 ●3

updated 2015-03-31 00:20:18 -0600

Hi, I have Fedora 20 and while installation, I never chose a password for my user account and this is an administrator account. I never needed a password because every time my PC boots, we have to enter a HDD password and I never had a need for my password. Recently I installed KDE and for logging into KDE environment, Gnome will not allow us to choose it until we chose a username, but since mine doesn't have a password, it immediately logs me in. So I am not able to choose between the Desktop environments.

So I finally decided to choose a password for this machine. It is a desktop and everyone in home use this, so I do not want to set a complicated, but some simple ones like "one" or "madam", but it will not allow it saying that it failed dictionary test or palindrome.

So I had to choose a very complex password.

Now I found different methods to switch between DEs, but I am left with this complex password. Is there anyway to remove it or change it to a simple one.

(I have enabled auto login, but still I had to enter pw several times like for unlocking keyring, installing a app via terminal and several other tasks. )

Is there a way to disable this security feature that is not allowing me to set simple passwords?

Edit: I found this configuration file that has some rules, but I am not sure whether I can edit the file without causing any trouble. :
/etc/security/pwquality.conf

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I could set the root password to "a" using the command passwd.

abadrinath ( 2014-08-29 21:02:08 -0600 )edit

The passwd does work quite well. I woul forego the "user" application and go this way. The "users"application required a godawful 12+ password and still failed I suggest that you find comand line code to add users or use the user app with the option for users to add a password on first login. then they should be able to uses that command and change it if they want to

silvama ( 2014-09-30 13:00:25 -0600 )edit

Welcome to ask.fedora. That's an excellent question. As long as there's no way for an attacker to log on remotely (The telnet, ssh and other similar services aren't running.) a home computer probably doesn't need as strong a password as a database server for a major corporation. I don't know the answer, but I'm going to vote you up and give you some well deserved karma.

sideburns ( 2015-03-25 18:05:06 -0600 )edit

Hi, this might be the duplicate of https://ask.fedoraproject.org/en/ques...

deadrat ( 2015-03-30 00:58:27 -0600 )edit

Indeed a duplicate. Merged.

FranciscoD_ ( 2015-03-30 05:30:35 -0600 )edit

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answered 2014-08-30 09:16:57 -0600

deadrat

2382 ●31 ●75 ●98 http://www.deadrat.in/

updated 2015-03-31 09:18:45 -0600

Using the terminal we can easily set up any password we want for users. The GUI may not accept weak passwords, but using simple terminal commands, we can do that.

Open Terminal, you must be Super User (Administrator.)

Type the following commands:

sudo passwd <username>

Replace <username> with the username for which you want to change the password You will get the following reply.

Changing password for user <username> 
New password:

Now type the password that you want to set for the user. Note: When you type the password, it may just show up as blank, but it is getting typed. It may give warning based upon the password you chose. (here I typed bob as password )

BAD PASSWORD: The password is a palindrome.
Retype new password:

Now re enter the password to confirm it. You will get a confirmation reply as:

passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.

And that is it! The password is changes to the one that you want

note: After setting up the password using passwd command, when you login, gnome keyring may ask you to enter your password again to unlock it.

P.S.: I asked this question because I didn't notice something very simple. Sorry about that. But Anyway now after I got this answer, I decided to answer it in same question so if there is anyone else like me, they can easily set the password. Thanks

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When using passwd to change your user's password, isn't there a problem with unlocking Gnome's keyring? I didn't do it for some time but I do remember that seahorse gave me some trouble... Anybody know what I mean, and and can confirm? Thanks

florian ( 2015-03-30 15:37:26 -0600 )edit

You are right @Florian. After changing the password using 'passwd' , on login, I was prompted to unlock the keyring & I had to enter the password to unlock it. And that is it. It did it for only once. From next login, I never received the prompt.

deadrat ( 2015-03-31 00:18:26 -0600 )edit

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answered 2015-03-25 19:39:07 -0600

cgonz31
1109 ●10 ●27 ●44

updated 2015-03-25 19:39:56 -0600

You can do it with the command passwd.

For example, I'm logged in as user1 and want to change the password of user1. Run passwd in a terminal and it will prompt for the current password and the new password. It WILL give you the BAD password warning if you have a simple password and it will not let you change the password.

To get around this, use the command as root: sudo passwd user1. It will prompt for the new password and it will give you the BAD password warning but it WILL let you change it.

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answered 2016-06-09 02:18:20 -0600

mpduty
467 ●4 ●10 ●16

you can use a combination of words without space as simple password in GUI. Like you can use the phrase 'cat kills' as 'catkills' or say 'i love' as 'ilove'.

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1

with the space for me is easy and more natural writing, and adds substantially to the complexity of the password.

randomuser ( 2016-06-09 08:33:58 -0600 )edit

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answered 2014-08-30 04:32:29 -0600

galldritt
1

I find that the best way to create passwords is to pick a phrase or quotation and use the first or last letters of each word, follow this by a memorable number, e.g. Once More Into the Breach would be "OMItBnnnnnnnn", then apply the result by logging in as root and typing "passwd username" or just "passwd" if setting the root password, and follow the prompts.

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How do I use simple passwords?

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