kptui 0.27.1

Highly secure TUI password manager for KeePass KDBX vaults
kptui-0.27.1 is not a library.

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kptui 0.27.1

Highly secure TUI password manager for KeePass KDBX vaults

  • Compatible with the PassKeeper/KeePass KDBX .kdb and .kdbx file format.
  • It saves its database file to KDBX4.1 which can be used by KeePassXC and KeePass2.
  • Fits in with the wider PassKeeper/KeePass ecosystem.
  • Very secure in its default configuration, impossible to brute-force (so unlocking takes a few seconds!).
    • Writes to KDBX4.1 hardened with Argon2.
    • KDF-Memory: 262144 KiB
    • KDF-iterations: 90 (!)
    • KDF-parallel: 4
  • The Terminal User Interface is responsive and fully keyboard-driven.
  • Stores: Name, Username, Password, TOTP, URL and Notes (only what it needs).

Features

  • KDBX4.1 vaults: Reads and writes standard .kdbx files, so you can open the same vault in KeePassXC, KeePassDX, KeePass2 or any other compatible client.
  • Optional keyfile support: Can unlocks vaults protected by a master password plus a keyfile, but password-only vault is also supported.
  • Filtered search: Start typing on the index screen to filter entries by Name or Username.
  • TOTP codes: Generates live 2FA codes from a stored seed and saves otpauth:// URI.
    • Editable as: SECRET [DIGITS [PERIOD]] (PERIOD defaults to 30, and DIGITS to 6)
  • Auto-exit: The whole app can close itself automatically after a set period of inactivity in seconds (0: stays open indefinitely).
  • Themeable: Ships with a range of themes and supports custom themes.
  • Access Configuration from the app: On the Login screen or the Index screen, give Control-C:
    • Database (default: ~/.local/share/kptui/default.kdbx)
    • (Optional) keyfile
    • Auto-exit setting (in seconds, 0: never auto-exit)
    • Theme selection (location: ~/.config/kptui/themes)
    • Change the master password
    • Import from file
    • Export to file
  • Import from other vaults or export: Import entries from another .kdbx file, or from a .csv/.json file (as produced by other password managers). Export to CSV/JSON or KDBX.

Usage

kptui 0.27.1 - TUI password manager for KeePass vaults
Usage:  kptui [slim | version | help]

Installing

Download static single-binary

wget https://github.com/pepa65/kptui/releases/download/0.27.1/kptui
sudo mv kptui /usr/local/bin
sudo chown root:root /usr/local/bin/kptui
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/kptui

Install with cargo

Static musl build from cloned repo

# After git-cloning the repo
rustup target add x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
cargo build --release

Dynamic build with cargo

cargo install --git https://github.com/pepa65/kptui

Install with cargo-binstall

Even without a full Rust toolchain, rust binaries can be installed with the static binary cargo-binstall:

# Install cargo-binstall for Linux x86_64
# (Other versions are available at https://crates.io/crates/cargo-binstall)
wget github.com/cargo-bins/cargo-binstall/releases/latest/download/cargo-binstall-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tgz
tar xf cargo-binstall-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tgz
sudo chown root:root cargo-binstall
sudo mv cargo-binstall /usr/local/bin/

Only a linux-x86_64 (musl) binary available: cargo-binstall kptui

It will be installed in ~/.cargo/bin/ which will need to be added to PATH!

Getting started

  • On first launch, if no vault is found at the default (configured) path, kptui will:
    • Prompt to create a new database.
    • Prompt to set a master password.
    • But if a password is piped or directed in, this password will be used to create a new database with that password.
    • If Control-C is given, then the configuration can be adjusted.
  • Once unlocked, entries can be browsed, searched and opened from the Index screen.
  • To open an existing vault, set default_database in the config file at ~/.config/kptui/config.toml.
    • It can also be set on the Configuration screen that's accessible with Control-C.
    • If a keyfile is required, that can also be set in the configuration.
# Example
default_database = "~/passwords.kdbx"
keyfile = "~/passwords.keyx"
  • The interface requires a terminal dimensions of at least 44 colums by 24 rows (but 24x12 is still functional).
  • Run in smaller terminals with: kptui slim (at least 27 columns by 10 rows required, but 19x11 is still functional).
  • To show the version: kptui version
  • To show a short help: kptui help
  • A password can also be provided non-interactively:
    • Piped in, like: echo "$password" |kptui
    • Directed in, like: kptui <<<"$password"
    • Use a file with the password: kptui <password_file

Configuration

The configuration file is at a fixed location: ~/.config/kptui/config.toml. See default_config.toml in this repo:

default_database = "~/.local/share/kptui/default.kdbx"
keyfile = "~/.local/share/kptui/default.keyx"  # Optional (omit for password-only vaults)
auto_exit = 300  # Seconds of inactivity before exiting the app
theme = "melange_dark.toml"  # Theme from ~/.local/share/kptui/themes

All fields are optional, as the above are the default values.

Security notes

  • Saved vaults are standard KDBX4.1 files, encrypted with the master password (and, when configured, the keyfile).
    • The keyfile is always in addition to the mandatory password, as an extra requirement.
    • If the configured keyfile is missing, unreadable, empty, or incorrect, an explicit error is given.
    • The keyfile's path is stored in the config, never its contents.
  • Changing the master password re-encrypts the whole vault in place, and requires entering the current password first.
    • If a keyfile was set, it remains part of the new composite key.
  • The app exits after auto_exit seconds of inactivity, clearing all decrypted entries and the master password from memory. All edits and changes will be lost (0: never auto-exit).
  • When the app is open and the vault not locked, secrets are kept in memory!
  • When the app exits, there are no plaintext secrets left anywhere in memory.