Archives For November 30, 1999

KeePass2

KeePass password manager 2.36 was released early this month with many new features and improvements. Now you can install it via a PPA in Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, and derivatives.

KeePass was originally for Windows only, but now uses Mono to run on Linux. For those who want a native Linux password manager software, try KeePassX or KeePassXC.

New features in KeePass 2.36:

  • Added commands ‘Find Duplicate Passwords’ and ‘Find Similar Passwords’.
  • Added command ‘Password Quality Report’.
  • Added option ‘String name’ in the ‘Edit’ -> ‘Find’ dialog.
  • Added option for using a gray tray icon.
  • Added {CMD:/…/} placeholder, which runs a command line.
  • Added {T-CONV:/…/Raw/} placeholder, which inserts a text without encoding it for the current context.
  • Added optional ‘Last Password Modification Time (Based on History)’ entry list column.
  • The internal text editor now supports editing PS1 files.
  • The position and size of the internal data viewer is now remembered and restored.
  • For various dialogs, the maximized state is now remembered and restored.
  • Added configuration option for specifying an expiry date for master keys.
  • Added configuration option for specifying disallowed auto-type target windows.
  • Added workaround for Edge throwing away all keyboard input for a short time after its activation.
  • Added workaround for Mono not properly rendering bold and italic text in rich text boxes.
  • TrlUtil now performs a case-sensitive word validation.

How to Install KeePass 2.36 in Ubuntu:

Open terminal via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for “Terminal” from app launcher. When it opens, run following commands one by one:

1. Run command to add the KeePass2 PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/keepass2

Type user password (no visual feedback due to security reason) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade KeePass password safe via Software Updater if you have a previous version installed:

Or run commands to install / upgrade the software:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install keepass2

Uninstall:

The PPA repository can be removed via Software & Updates utility under Other Software tab. To remove KeePass password safe, simply run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove keepass2

For those prefer KeePass2 password manager to KeePassX, here’s how to install the latest KeePass 2.35 release in Ubuntu 16.10, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 12.04.

While official Ubuntu repositories only provide an old version, the latest KeePass2 has reached the 2.35 release with a large list of new features and improvements. Here are some of them:

  • New KDBX 4 file format
  • Added Argon2 key derivation function
  • Added ChaCha20 (RFC 7539) encryption algorithm
  • open entry URLs with Firefox or Opera in private mode
  • support for importing mSecure 3.5.5 CSV, Password Saver 4.1.2 XML, and Enpass 5.3.0.1 TXT files.
  • And other more change, see the release note.

How to Install KeePass2 2.35 in Ubuntu:

For all current Ubuntu releases and derivatives, e.g., Linux Mint 17, 18, and Elementary OS Loki, KeePass2 can be easily installed from the Julian Taylor’s PPA.

1. Open terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for “Terminal” from start menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/keepass2

Type user password (no visual feedback due to security reason) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then you can upgrade KeePass2 from an existing release via Software Updater:

Or just run following commands to check updates and install the latest release:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install keepass2

For those who don’t want to add the PPA, grab the DEB package from HERE.

How to Restore

For any reason you can easily remove the PPA and downgrade KeePass2 to the stock version in official Ubuntu repositories via ppa-purge tool:

sudo apt-get install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:jtaylor/keepass

Tip: For a list of plugins, e.g., KeeFox, KeeAgent, Keebuntu, and KeePassHttp, go to this PPA.

KeePassX, a native Linux port of KeePass password manager, finally reached the 2.0 release after several years of development.

KeePassX 2 has been rewritten from scratch. It uses the new .kdbx (same as KeePass 2) database format. You can import your .kdb database from 0.4 series from menu Database > Import KeePass 1 database.

New features include:

  • Multiple attachments per entry
  • Add custom key/value pairs to entries
  • Open multiple database in one window

For more details, see official release note.

How to Install KeePassX 2 in Ubuntu:

The official KeePassX PPA does not update at the moment, but a third-party PPA has built the KeePassX 2.0 for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu 15.04, and Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.

1. Add PPA

Open terminal from Unity Dash, App Launcher, or via Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut key. When it opens, paste below command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:eugenesan/ppa

Type in your password when it asks (no visual feedback just type in mind) and hit Enter to continue.

2. After that, upgrade KeePassX by running Software Updater. Or run below commands one by one in terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install keepassx

For those who don’t want to add PPA, grab the .deb installer directly from HERE.

3. (Optional) As a third-party PPA, it also contains many other applications. You may remove the PPA after installation by either using Software & Updates -> Other Software tab, or running below command in terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:eugenesan/ppa && sudo apt-get update