How to save passwords on Linux with Password Safe
Password Safe is a stylish, easy to use password management tool for Gnome-based desktop environments, such as Gnome Shell, Cinnamon, Budgie, etc. It uses KeePass as a back-end and takes the headache out of managing a local password database. Here’s how to get it working on your system.
Installing Password Safe on Linux
Before we demonstrate how to set up the Password Safe application on Linux systems, we must explain how to install the program, as it does not come pre-installed on any modern Linux operating system.
Password Safe is officially supported by Arch Linux, Fedora (30, 31, Rawhide), OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, and Flatpak. Additionally, it is possible to get your hands on the source code and build it for any Linux distribution.
Arch Linux
The Password Safe application is readily available for all Arch Linux users via the “Community” software repository. To install it on your system, open up a terminal window, and ensure that “Community” is set up in Pacman.conf. Then, use the Pacman package manager command below.
sudo pacman -S gnome-passwordsafe
Fedora
As of Fedora 30, the Password Safe program can be installed on Fedora Linux. To get it working, open up a terminal window on the Fedora desktop. After that, use the Dnf package manager command below.
sudo dnf install gnome-passwordsafe
OpenSUSE Tumbleweed
If you’re an OpenSUSE Tumbleweed user, you’ll be happy to know that the Password Safe application is available for installation. To start, open up a terminal window. Then, install the app with the Zypper package command below.
sudo zypper install gnome-passwordsafe
Flatpak
Those not using Arch Linux, Fedora, or OpenSUSE Linux, will need to install the Password Safe app via the Flathub Flatpak store. To start the installation, you must set up the Flatpak runtime on your system. To do this, search for the “flatpak” package, and install it the way you typically install software on your system. Or, follow our in-depth tutorial all about how to set up Flatpak on Linux.
Once the Flatpak runtime is up and running on your Linux PC, use the flatpak remote-add command to add the Flathub app store to the system.
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
When you’ve set up the Flathub app store on your Linux PC, it’s time to install the Password Safe program. Using the flatpak install command below, get the app set up.
flatpak install flathub org.gnome.PasswordSafe -y
Source-code
Not using Arch Linux, Fedora, OpenSUSE, or Flatpak? The Password Safe program can easily be compiled from the source code. To start, head over to the Password Safe GitLab page, and download the latest code. Then, follow the instructions on the page to learn how to get it working.
Setting up Password Safe
To add passwords to Password Safe, you will need to create a new KeePass database file. To do this, launch Password Safe on the Linux desktop by searching for it in your app menu. Then, find the “New” button in Password Safe, and click on it with the mouse.
Upon clicking on the “New” button with the mouse, you will see a save-file dialog window pop up on the screen. Use it to save your new KeePass database file. Be sure to keep the file somewhere safe.
After saving your new KeePass file, you’ll need to encrypt it. In Password Safe, find the “Password” option under “Protect your safe,” and click on it with the mouse to set a master password for your KeePass database file.
Once the master password for the KeePass database file is set, Password Safe is ready to use. Click on the “Open Safe” button to start using the app.
Adding passwords to Password Safe
Adding passwords to Password Safe is pretty straightforward, thanks to the easy to understand UI. To set up passwords in the app, follow the step-by-step instructions outlined below.
Step 1: Unlock your Password Safe by entering the password set during the setup process. It must be unlocked to add passwords to the database.
Step 2: Click on the 3-dot menu at the top-right area of the app to access the options inside of the menu. Then, select the “New Group” option.
Step 3: After selecting “New Group,” a text box will appear on the screen. In the title box, write “Passwords.” In the “Notes” section, write a brief description. Click on the “Home” icon when done.
Step 4: Click on the “Passwords” group in the main UI.
Step 5: Click on the 3-dot menu again to reveal it’s options. Then, find “New Entry” and click on it to bring up the password entry box.
Step 6: In the “New Entry” box, fill out password and login information, as well as the website that the password/login information belongs to. Repeat this step till you fill up Password Safe with all of your internet passwords.
Once all password information is added to Password Safe, there is no need to save. The app automatically updates it. To access your passwords, login, click on the “Passwords” group and copy the password to your clipboard.
