How do I eliminate "password is based on dictionary" message

I am able to change my password only as root.

If I change it from my account, I get the message that the new
password is based on a word in the dictionary, which is not the case!

How can I get get rid of this problem?

Thanks,

Deguza

(Using Redhat 7)

I demand that on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 23:15:16 -0800, Kompu Kid may or may not
have written:

> I am able to change my password only as root.
>
> If I change it from my account, I get the message that the new
> password is based on a word in the dictionary, which is not the case!

What kind of passwords are you using? Try and include some numbers or
other characters in your passwords.
ie: (bad example password I know but)
Instead of hello you could use h3ll0 or use a foreign language word like
konnichiwa (japanese for hello) but type it in as k0nn1chiw4. That would
give you a fairly strong and non-dictionary based word but one that is
easy to remember.

--
Jafar Calley
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
d+ s-:+ a C++++ L++ E--- W++ N++ w-- PE- t* 5++ R+ !tv D+ G e* h---- x?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Registered Linux User #359623
http://fatcat.homelinux.org

jafar <jafar@fatcat.spam> writes:

> I demand that on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 23:15:16 -0800, Kompu Kid may or may not
> have written:
>
>> I am able to change my password only as root.
>>
>> If I change it from my account, I get the message that the new
>> password is based on a word in the dictionary, which is not the case!
>
> What kind of passwords are you using? Try and include some numbers or
> other characters in your passwords.
> ie: (bad example password I know but)
> Instead of hello you could use h3ll0 or use a foreign language word like
> konnichiwa (japanese for hello) but type it in as k0nn1chiw4. That would
> give you a fairly strong and non-dictionary based word but one that is
> easy to remember.

And/or consider using memorable phrases - see if you can work out where I
get `3bm^2Shtr' from ;)

And/or keep an untidy desk, then when you need a word, just look around
you and l33tify it as above.

And/or `md5sum < /dev/random | uuencode - - ' , or similar.

And/or use genpasswd(1) for those really unimaginative moments. :)

~Tim
--
Bagpuss gave a big yawn, |piglet@stirfried.vegetable.org.uk
and settled down to sleep. |http://spodzone.org.uk/pigmail/

Tim Haynes <usenet-20041115@stirfried.vegetable.org.uk> wrote in
news:86mzxjl939.fsf@potato.vegetable.org.uk:

>> Instead of hello you could use h3ll0 or use a foreign language word
>> like konnichiwa (japanese for hello) but type it in as k0nn1chiw4.
>> That would give you a fairly strong and non-dictionary based word but
>> one that is easy to remember.
>
> And/or consider using memorable phrases - see if you can work out
> where I get `3bm^2Shtr' from ;)
>
> And/or keep an untidy desk, then when you need a word, just look
> around you and l33tify it as above.
>
> And/or `md5sum < /dev/random | uuencode - - ' , or similar.
>
> And/or use genpasswd(1) for those really unimaginative moments. :)

All very good. I had a sysadmin that was into trivia. I forget the actual
password but one he gave me was the initials of two related presidents on
either side of the years seperating their terms.

Or sentence strings that you really want to remember. Like "dont forget
to feed the dog" so that everytime you type DftftD and say the phrase in
your head you can say "ahh crap" and feed the poor thing. Using names and
important dates is not recommended but if your wife Jane Alice Doe has a
bithday on 4/4/54 then JADbd444 might cover two important functions also.
:)

Gandalf Parker

jafar <jafar@fatcat.spam> wrote in message news:<pan.2004.11.15.09.28.11.982270@fatcat.spam>. ..
> I demand that on Sun, 14 Nov 2004 23:15:16 -0800, Kompu Kid may or may not
> have written:
>
> > I am able to change my password only as root.
> >
> > If I change it from my account, I get the message that the new
> > password is based on a word in the dictionary, which is not the case!
>
> What kind of passwords are you using? Try and include some numbers or
> other characters in your passwords.
> ie: (bad example password I know but)
> Instead of hello you could use h3ll0 or use a foreign language word like
> konnichiwa (japanese for hello) but type it in as k0nn1chiw4. That would
> give you a fairly strong and non-dictionary based word but one that is
> easy to remember.

I have two numerals preceding a non-English word. However, I just
checked at m-w.com, it is turning out to be somebody's last name! This
may be the problem.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Deguza

Tim Haynes <usenet-20041115@stirfried.vegetable.org.uk> wrote in message news:<86mzxjl939.fsf@potato.vegetable.org.uk>...

> And/or consider using memorable phrases - see if you can work out where I
> get `3bm^2Shtr' from ;)
>
> And/or keep an untidy desk, then when you need a word, just look around
> you and l33tify it as above.
>
> And/or `md5sum < /dev/random | uuencode - - ' , or similar.
>
> And/or use genpasswd(1) for those really unimaginative moments. :)
>
> ~Tim

Thanks for the suggestions Tim.

It is not a password I would use but as part of a joke my friend wrote
the following the other week. See if you can figure this one out.
(Handwritten version works a bit better...)

37o455o' o7734

Deguza

On 2004-11-15, Tim Haynes <usenet-20041115@stirfried.vegetable.org.uk> wrote:
>
> And/or `md5sum < /dev/random | uuencode - - ' , or similar.

This may not work so well, since md5sum will happily read from
/dev/random till Windows doesn't suck. Perhaps something like

dd if=/dev/random count=2048 | md5sum | uuencode -

might be better? (I don't know what values of count will work best, so
please don't trust my value.)

--keith

--
kkeller-usenet@wombat.san-francisco.ca.us
(try just my userid to email me)
AOLSFAQ=http://wombat.san-francisco.ca.us/cgi-bin/fom

In article <86mzxjl939.fsf@potato.vegetable.org.uk>, Tim Haynes wrote:

>And/or consider using memorable phrases - see if you can work out where I
>get `3bm^2Shtr' from ;)

Aw, that's easy. Just watch out for women with carving knives. I will
admit I like the 'memorable phrases' technique. If you have a good memory,
you can also use "things from the past" - like the phone number of the first
MOTOS you <CENSORED> intertwined with their name, or the number of the license
plate on your grandfathers car, modified by including the year or make and
model.

The important thing is that _you_ have some beautiful memories of things
that no one is going to associate with you, If you use those words to
create seemingly meaningless strings of characters (first character of
each word, first of first - second of second, intertwining) with a few
numbers or punctuation, you are going to come up with a password or three
that NO ONE is going to guess. Now, your only worry is shoulder surfing.

>And/or `md5sum < /dev/random | uuencode - - ' , or similar.

Didn't we just do this thread? ;-)

Old guy