1Password, a password manager that thinks in Linux

1Password Screenshot

Gnu / Linux users have always had a layer of security that other users of other operating systems have never had, but this does not make it a foolproof system.

That is why there are tools for Gnu / Linux that we can install and use to make our data and our equipment more secure.

No, we are not going to talk about the traditional antivirus but about a type of unknown but increasingly important tool: password managers.

A password manager allows us to use strong passwords on websites or applications without having to memorize each one of them.

En DesdeLinux we have talked to you about any of these options, but recently the first stable version of a password generator has been released that integrates almost natively with Gnu / Linux distributions. This tool it's called 1Password.

1Password is a very broad cross-platform tool. By this we mean that the developers have not only created a version for each operating system but also an extension has been launched for the main web browsers and it is fully compatible with the most popular applications on the market. The latter allows us to use 1Password in almost any application with a password that we have.

1Password has end-to-end encryption protection which makes it safe to enter a password in any form. It also has two very interesting extra functions such as protection for phishing and protection for keyloggers. The first makes the app recognize the site and if it is a fraudulent or phishing site, the password will not be entered. The second protection makes that the operating system or the web does not recognize the input of the letters per key and therefore cannot be traced.

The developers of 1Password have also introduced another protection that clean the clipboard in such a way that no one can trace the password in the operating system. This can be interesting but it can also be a nuisance if we do a lot of copying of passwords. This already depends on the use that each one gives.

Surprisingly, I comment this because it is rare that an application focuses or shows preference for Gnu / Linux and not for another operating system, the app for Gnu / Linux has functions that the 1Password apps for other platforms do not have.

Screenshot of login with 1Password

One of these extra functions is in kernel compatibility, in a password monitor that helps us see if someone is asking for passwords and if it is secure or not; extra information about who accesses what; full compatibility with the main window managers including night mode function; and, possibly the most valued, the use of a powerful search engine accompanied by a category system that will allow us to manage and search our passwords or information about them in just under three mouse strokes.

the Gnu / Linux app has functions that 1Password apps for other platforms do not have

1Password also has drawbacks

The password manager is very good, possibly the best on the market, but it has a downside: it has a monthly price.

And by this I do not mean what has to be free, personally I do not think that all software has to be free. But 1Password has a lockin effect that is not recommended in the security world. When we use the service, we have a trial period of 14 days, after this period we have to pay $ 2,90 per month. If we do not want to pay, either because we do not want to or because we do not have money, the manager would stop working and thus we would no longer have access to our passwords.

If it is true that we can make a backup copy of these passwords, but then we can also use the notepad and paste the passwords there, being unsafe.

Nor does it offer us the possibility of obtaining the software and perform maintenance ourselves by installing on our own server, something that other password managers do.

If we compare with other password managers, the price of 1Password is not very high and it is in line with other similar programs, but this does not cause the lockin effect, that is, dependence on the program, be dangerous and be there.

1Password installation on Gnu / Linux

Installing 1Password on a Gnu / Linux system is very easy. There are packages for the main distributions, so if we have a distribution Debian-based, we just have to download the deb package and run it.

If, on the other hand, we have a distribution based on Fedora or Red Hat that uses the rpm package system, because we have to download the rpm package and run it.

We also have the possibility of installing it through the snapstore, for this we have to go to the 1Password entry and install it like any snap package.

And for the more veteran users who trust the terminal, we can do it through the terminal. To do this we open the terminal and write the following:

curl -sS https://downloads.1password.com/linux/keys/1password.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --output /usr/share/keyrings/1password-archive-keyring.gpg

Next we add the repository:

echo 'deb [arch = amd64 signed-by = / usr / share / keyrings / 1password-archive-keyring.gpg] https://downloads.1password.com/linux/debian/amd64 stable main' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/1password.list

And finally we install it through the commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install 1password

And if we don't have Fedora or Ubuntu, nor their derivatives, we don't want a snap package, but just we use Manjaro or Arch Linux, then we have to do the following:

curl -sS https://downloads.1password.com/linux/keys/1password.asc | gpg --import

After executing the above command, we add the official 1Password package to our repositories:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/1password.git

And we do the installation with the following commands:

cd 1password makepkg -si

And if we have a problem with these installation methods, 1Password support offers us more alternative installation methods, but for not so novice users.

1Password Screenshot

Opinion

Months ago I was quite reluctant to password managers, I did not know how they work and I was not very clear about the security they offered, but since I started testing it, I am delighted with this type of software and I have it on my main devices. 1Password is a great alternative, but the lockin effect it produces worries me a lot and it seems that it is not very clear how to fix it. Possibly if this problem is fixed, 1Password become one of the best password managers for Gnu / Linux.

That is why using it On a personal level, I think it is not recommended. However, on a business level, where high security and backed software are needed more than on a personal level, 1Password seems the best option: for the support it offers and for the speed it offers making the use of security systems does not make us less productive.

In any case, if you are looking for similar software, my best recommendation is that you download the 14-day trial and you test it with unimportant sites and with personalized passwords that you can remember, use it as much as you can and consider whether 1Password really suits your needs or not. I did so and my search was quickly resolved.

Source and images .- 1Password Blog


3 comments, leave yours

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.

  1.   zicoxy3 said

    I don't trust anything from password managers in the cloud. Neither 1Password, nor Bitwaden, nor LastPass… with which I had a problem… Sooner or later they end up having security breaches, even though I don't have anything "important" to keep.
    Nor do I trust Mozilla or Google in their browsers ... Mine is KeepassXC locally, and above all, a pattern of my own. I hardly need a manager with the pattern.

    1.    Joaquin Garcia Cobo said

      Hello, I was also very skeptical about password managers, but when I tried the latest versions I liked them a lot and I think they do not create a security breach although I am with you that the Cloud is dangerous, the best option is to have it in an own server or on the same computer, without a doubt.
      Thank you very much for commenting 🙂

  2.   With said

    Sadly, no. It is absolutely possible for a password manager to use a server for some functionality while not trusting it.