/mandos/trunk

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<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"

	"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.5/docbookx.dtd" [

<!ENTITY COMMANDNAME "askpass-fifo">

<!ENTITY TIMESTAMP "2008-10-04">

<!ENTITY % common SYSTEM "../common.ent">

%common;

]>

<refentry xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">

  <refentryinfo>

    <title>Mandos Manual</title>

    <!-- NWalsh’s docbook scripts use this to generate the footer: -->

    <productname>Mandos</productname>

    <productnumber>&version;</productnumber>

    <date>&TIMESTAMP;</date>

    <authorgroup>

      <author>

	<firstname>Björn</firstname>

	<surname>Påhlsson</surname>

	<address>

	  <email>belorn@fukt.bsnet.se</email>

	</address>

      </author>

      <author>

	<firstname>Teddy</firstname>

	<surname>Hogeborn</surname>

	<address>

	  <email>teddy@fukt.bsnet.se</email>

	</address>

      </author>

    </authorgroup>

    <copyright>

      <year>2008</year>

      <holder>Teddy Hogeborn</holder>

      <holder>Björn Påhlsson</holder>

    </copyright>

    <xi:include href="../legalnotice.xml"/>

  </refentryinfo>

  <refmeta>

    <refentrytitle>&COMMANDNAME;</refentrytitle>

    <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum>

  </refmeta>

  <refnamediv>

    <refname><command>&COMMANDNAME;</command></refname>

    <refpurpose>Mandos plugin to get a password from a

    FIFO.</refpurpose>

  </refnamediv>

  <refsynopsisdiv>

    <cmdsynopsis>

      <command>&COMMANDNAME;</command>

    </cmdsynopsis>

  </refsynopsisdiv>

  <refsect1 id="description">

    <title>DESCRIPTION</title>

    <para>

      This program reads a password from a <acronym>FIFO</acronym> and

      outputs it to standard output.

    </para>

    <para>

      This program is not very useful on its own.  This program is

      really meant to run as a plugin in the <application

      >Mandos</application> client-side system, where it is used as a

      fallback and alternative to retrieving passwords from a

      <application >Mandos</application> server.

    </para>

    <para>

      This program is meant to be imitate a feature of the

      <command>askpass</command> program, so that programs written to

      interface with it can keep working under the

      <application>Mandos</application> system.

    </para>

  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id="options">

    <title>OPTIONS</title>

    <para>

      This program takes no options.

    </para>

  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id="exit_status">

    <title>EXIT STATUS</title>

    <para>

      If exit status is 0, the output from the program is the password

      as it was read.  Otherwise, if exit status is other than 0, the

      program was interrupted or encountered an error, and any output

      so far could be corrupt and/or truncated, and should therefore

      be ignored.

    </para>

  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id="files">

    <title>FILES</title>

    <variablelist>

      <varlistentry>

	<term><filename>/lib/cryptsetup/passfifo</filename></term>

	<listitem>

	  <para>

	    This is the <acronym>FIFO</acronym> where this program

	    will read the password.  If it does not exist, it will be

	    created.

	  </para>

	</listitem>

      </varlistentry>

    </variablelist>

  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id="example">

    <title>EXAMPLE</title>

    <para>

      Note that normally, this program will not be invoked directly,

      but instead started by the Mandos <citerefentry><refentrytitle

      >plugin-runner</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum>

      </citerefentry>.

    </para>

    <informalexample>

      <para>

	This program takes no options.

      </para>

      <para>

	<userinput>&COMMANDNAME;</userinput>

      </para>

    </informalexample>

  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id="security">

    <title>SECURITY</title>

    <para>

      The only thing that could be considered worthy of note is

      this:  This program is meant to be run by <citerefentry>

      <refentrytitle>plugin-runner</refentrytitle><manvolnum

      >8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>, and will, when run

      standalone, outside, in a normal environment, immediately output

      on its standard output any presumably secret password it just

      received.  Therefore, when running this program standalone

      (which should never normally be done), take care not to type in

      any real secret password by force of habit, since it would then

      immediately be shown as output.

    </para>

  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id="see_also">

    <title>SEE ALSO</title>

    <para>

      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>fifo</refentrytitle>

      <manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>,

      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>plugin-runner</refentrytitle>

      <manvolnum>8mandos</manvolnum></citerefentry>

    </para>

  </refsect1>

</refentry>

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