Different Ways To Generate A Strong Password In Linux

Creating strong, secure passwords is essential—especially on Linux systems where you may manage servers, SSH access, or root-level privileges. The good news? Linux gives you several quick and powerful tools to generate strong passwords right from the terminal.

Here are the best and easiest ways to generate strong passwords in Linux.

🔐 1. Use the openssl Command

One of the most popular tools for generating passwords:

openssl rand -base64 16

• This generates a 16-byte random password encoded in base64
• Want a longer password? Just change 16 to a higher number like 24 or 32

🔐 2. Use the pwgen Utility

pwgen creates pronounceable or random passwords depending on how you use it:

pwgen 16 1

• Generates one 16-character password
• You can install it using:

sudo apt install pwgen

To create stronger passwords with symbols and numbers:

pwgen -sB 16 1

🔐 3. Use date + sha256sum (Clever DIY Method)

Here’s a creative way to make a unique password based on the system time:

date +%s | sha256sum | base64 | head -c 32

• Combines the current time, hashes it, and trims it down
• Great for quick and secure password generation without installing anything

🔐 4. Use head and /dev/urandom

Tap directly into Linux’s randomness:

head /dev/urandom | tr -dc A-Za-z0-9 | head -c 16

• Pulls 16 random alphanumeric characters
• Simple and very secure, though urandom may be overkill for basic use

🔐 5. Use gpg for Random Passphrases

If you want longer, memorable phrases instead of single-word passwords:

gpg --gen-random --armor 1 32

• Generates 32 bytes of random data in ASCII
• Useful for generating passphrases, API tokens, and more

🔐 6. Use keepassxc-cli (If You Use KeePassXC)

For users of KeePassXC password manager:

keepassxc-cli generate -l 20 -s

• Customizes password length and includes special characters
• Makes it easy to integrate strong passwords into your vault

📦 Bonus: Use Password Managers with CLI Support

If you’re managing multiple systems, storing passwords securely is just as important as generating them. Consider:

• KeePassXC (with CLI)
• Bitwarden CLI
• LastPass CLI

These tools let you generate, store, and retrieve strong passwords directly from your terminal.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a fancy GUI to make a secure password—Linux gives you all the tools in the terminal. Whether you’re scripting user creation, setting up SSH access, or just hardening your own account, these password generators help you stay secure with minimal effort.