Tux Password not showing inputs?

Tagged with: tux password help terminal

When learning to use Linux have you thought?

  • Why is the password not typing in the terminal?
  • The keyboard works, just not when I enter my Tux password?

For security reasons, Linux won't show you typing in your password with asterisks (***) or any visible confirmation. The password is being typed and pressing the 'Enter' key on your keyboard will send a response saying it was "successful" if typed correctly and "unsuccessful" if typed incorrectly. Passwords in Linux have 'echo off' implemented which does not show user input compared to 'echo on' when typing in your user id. 

Command Line Incorrect Password Entered Example:

C:Windows/system32>ssh tux.cs.drexel.edu
abc123@tux.cs.drexel.edu's password:
Permission denied, please try again.

Command Line Correct Password Entered Example:

C:Windows/system32>ssh tux.cs.drexel.edu
abc123@tux.cs.drexel.edu's password:
===============================================================================
                                Welcome to Tux!
              For technical issues, please e-mail ihelp@drexel.edu              
                For help with classwork, please contact your TA.
===============================================================================
Last login: Mon Apr 25 17:25:37 2022 from 255.255.255.255
abc123@tux1:~$

What's the easiest way to hide users inputting their passwords?

Not displaying it! Someone looking at your screen can see the plaintext.

So, why not show asterisks (***) instead of plaintext?

Printing asterisks for each character entered requires extra commands. Also, for more advanced Linux users, a typed key can be equivalent to an application rather than a character.