Building a Password Manager in Go

As a software developer, I've always been fascinated by the intersection of security and usability. Recently, I decided to embark on an exciting project: creating a command-line password manager using Go. I want to share the beginning of this journey with you, starting with the very first commit.

The Genesis

On November 27, 2023, I made the initial commit for my project, which I've named "dost" (friend in Hindi, reflecting its role as a helpful companion for password management). This first step, while small, lays the foundation for what I hope will become a robust and user-friendly tool.

Inspiration and Vision

While embarking on this project, I drew inspiration from the popular command-line password manager pass. The simplicity and effectiveness of pass caught my attention, and I decided to use its API as a blueprint for building my own password manager in Go.

Diving into the source code of pass was an eye-opening experience. I was intrigued to discover that the entire functionality of this widely-used tool is encapsulated in one comprehensive Bash script. This elegant simplicity is something I admire and hope to emulate in my own project, albeit using Go's strengths.

By studying pass, I've gained valuable insights into the essential features of a command-line password manager and the user experience it should provide. As I continue to develop "dost", I'll be keeping these lessons in mind, aiming to create a tool that combines the simplicity of pass with the performance and cross-platform compatibility benefits of Go.

This exploration has not only provided a roadmap for features to implement but also reinforced my belief in the power of well-crafted, focused tools. I'm excited to see how this inspiration will shape the evolution of "dost" in the coming stages of development.

First Features

The initial commit focused on two core functionalities:

1. Password Generation: I implemented a basic password generator that allows users to specify their desired password length. This feature aims to create strong, randomized passwords tailored to various security requirements.

2. Clipboard Integration: To enhance user experience, I ensured that the generated password is automatically copied to the clipboard. This small but crucial feature saves time and reduces the risk of transcription errors.

Technical Insights

Let's dive into some of the technical aspects of this first iteration:

• Go Version: The project is built using Go 1.21.0, leveraging the language's simplicity and efficiency.
• External Dependencies: I'm using the github.com/atotto/clipboard package to handle clipboard operations across different operating systems seamlessly.
• Random Generation: The password generation utilizes Go's crypto/rand package for secure random number generation, crucial for creating unpredictable and strong passwords.
• Character Set: The password generator includes uppercase and lowercase letters, digits, and a variety of special characters to ensure complexity.

Code Snippets

Let's look at some key parts of the implementation:

1. Password Generation Function:

func generatePassword(length int) (string, error) {
    const (
        uppercaseLetters = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"
        lowercaseLetters = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"
        digits           = "0123456789"
        specialChars     = "!@#$%^&*()-_=+[]{}|;:'\",.a8093152e673feb7aba1828c43532094/?"
    )

    allChars := uppercaseLetters + lowercaseLetters + digits + specialChars

    var password string
    for i := 0; i ed8a5aa279ac93ba9da43c7b48b42bfe go build -o dost main.go">
<pre class="brush:php;toolbar:false">> go build -o dost main.go

Generating password:

> ./dost generate -c email/vema@example.com 
Copied to clipboard! ✅

Avoid symbols for generating passwords:

> ./dost generate -n email/vema@example.com 
Generated Password: E2UST}^{Ac[Fb&D|cD%;Eij>H

Under development

• Insert a new password manually
• Show an existing password
• List all entries
• Password storage
• GPG Key based encryption

License

MIT

View on GitHub

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