populating passwds from context menu

[freilly]

Love the extension and have used it for a long time.  One tiny gripe is that it would be nice if it were possible to enter passwords from the context menu even if the default settings are not used.  In other words, if my default is to have an 8-character length password, but for a certain site I want 12 characters, the context menu will only ever supply the 8-character password generated for that site.  To get the 12-character one I must open password maker, find the group (which will be at the bottom if it is the most recent one created), select the account in question, select "copy generated password to clipboard", flip back to the web page (and hope I get there in less than 10 seconds), and paste the password.  Kind of a pain.

Also I can't help noticing that the "Counter" feature referred to in the manual does not in fact exist!  I assume this feature is only available in the IE version?  I am using version 1.6.2 for Firefox and there is no sign of it.  Or maybe that feature was removed and the manual not updated?

One more thing : ) When I first installed this extension I used a very dumb default username.  I just changed it to something not so dumb.  Have I just wiped out all my existing passwords?

THanks!

[tanstaafl]

Love the extension and have used it for a long time.

Me too, and couldn't agree more!

One tiny gripe is that it would be nice if it were possible to enter passwords from the context menu even if the default settings are not used.  In other words, if my default is to have an 8-character length password, but for a certain site I want 12 characters, the context menu will only ever supply the 8-character password generated for that site.  To get the 12-character one I must open password maker, find the group (which will be at the bottom if it is the most recent one created), select the account in question, select "copy generated password to clipboard", flip back to the web page (and hope I get there in less than 10 seconds), and paste the password.  Kind of a pain.

So, you're talking about a cascading menu off of the 'Coolkey' menu, that provided cascading access to all of the Groups/Accounts?
Neat idea... if Eric says it is doable, I'll add it to the Feature Request list - and by the way, feel free to mosey on over and vote (you get 5) for any of the Features you'd like to see implemented...

Also I can't help noticing that the "Counter" feature referred to in the manual does not in fact exist!  I assume this feature is only available in the IE version?  I am using version 1.6.2 for Firefox and there is no sign of it.  Or maybe that feature was removed and the manual not updated?

Hmm... I do remember this, but can't remember when it was removed...

One more thing : ) When I first installed this extension I used a very dumb default username.  I just changed it to something not so dumb.  Have I just wiped out all my existing passwords?

You haven't *wiped* them, no - there's nothing to wipe - but yes, the generated passwords will now be different, so you'll have to change to the old one to log in, go to the change password page, copy/paste the old p[assword, then change the username and copy/paste the new one to change it.

Yeah, a hassle, but I don't see an easier way (unless maybe you just go to each site, see what the password is and copy/paste it into a text document, repeat until you have them all, then change the username, and then change them whenever you next access them...

[freilly]

So, you're talking about a cascading menu off of the 'Coolkey' menu, that provided cascading access to all of the Groups/Accounts?

Well, no, at least I don't think that's what I'm suggesting.  : )

I would refer you to the little animated demo located here: http://passwordmaker.org/help/context-menu.xhtml.  Note how the password appears to be inserted with just a single click.  I just want to be able to insert my password like that, the same way I do when I am using the default settings.  In my case the context menu item for password maker gives a "populate this field" option and when I select this, it populates with the default password for that url.  What I am wishing is that the program would know when I have custom settings for a site and autopopulate with the appropriate password using my custom settings instead of inserting the default one.  In other words, I wish it would not ignore custom site-specific settings when using autopopulate from the context menu.

Good god, I just realized I'm not being clear at all.  Sorry!  : )

[tanstaafl]

So, you're talking about a cascading menu off of the 'Coolkey' menu, that provided cascading access to all of the Groups/Accounts?

Well, no, at least I don't think that's what I'm suggesting.  : )

I would refer you to the little animated demo located here: http://passwordmaker.org/help/context-menu.xhtml.  Note how the password appears to be inserted with just a single click.  I just want to be able to insert my password like that, the same way I do when I am using the default settings.  In my case the context menu item for password maker gives a "populate this field" option and when I select this, it populates with the default password for that url.  What I am wishing is that the program would know when I have custom settings for a site and autopopulate with the appropriate password using my custom settings instead of inserting the default one.  In other words, I wish it would not ignore custom site-specific settings when using autopopulate from the context menu.

Hmmm... then something is amiss - because when I do this, it prompts me for my MPW - but using the custom account settings. And I don't see a way to do this without prompting you for your MPW - unless, of course, you have saved it (to memory or disk)...

It sounds like you may have a problem with your URL pattern... the most common mistake is not understanding how it works - ie, here is how mine for this site looks:

http://forums.passwordmaker.org/*

This is the most secure way to specify this site.

At a bare *minimum* (but this is not recommended, because it is insecure), you need something like *.passwordmaker.org/*

[freilly]

Wait, so you're saying the program should already be doing what I'm describing?

I have MP stored in memory.  When I set up a new group/account/password for a site, I don't alter the url in any way.  So for instance if I go to http://www.somesite.com/signup.php and I want to create custom settings for this site, I will go to the Accounts tab, select New Group from the drop down menu, then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list (as I say, I've been using the extension for a while, so it's a pretty long list and there is no way I know of to change the order in which they appear), highlight the new item and then select New Account from the drop down menu.  All the while, over on the left side of the PWM menu (underneath File Edit View, etc) I see:

Master Password          |********************|
Store Master password  |in memory                       |
Using URL                    |somesite.com                  |

And I always just leave it that way.   In other words, I don't go in and add "http://www." to the beginning or "/*" to the end.  I just leave it the way it comes up.  I also don't change the url in the Account Specific Settings menu.  By default it says "somesite.com" and I just leave it that way.  Are you saying that in order to enable my custom settings I have to go and add the wildcards to the url?  Why would this be, though, since "somesite.com" is already a match for "http://www.somesite.com/login.php" ;  *.somesite.com/* doesn't make it match better, it just forces me to type more!

[Miquel 'Fire' Burns]

1) Counter was renamed to modifier. It's still called counter in the RDF file however. The manual is really out of date.
2) Edit the account, goto the URLs tab, and you should see a list for patterns. When you create a new account, this list is blank, and you have to add a new one in manually. Hopefully, for the next version, this will be automated for you in some way.

[freilly]

Thanks, that did the trick.  It all makes sense now! : )

Thanks also for your reply to my question in the other thread about the command line version.  I've got that working now as well.

[Eric H. Jung]

*.somesite.com/* doesn't make it match better, it just forces me to type more!

Well, it does match better Many sites have more than one URL where you can login.

And yes, to echo Miquel, "counter" was renamed to "modifier" to better reflect that you don't have to use numbers there. You can use a date, for instance, in order to help you remember when you last changed the modifier (and hence, your password).

The manual really needs to be updated

[tanstaafl]

Wait, so you're saying the program should already be doing what I'm describing?

No - you misunderstood - see below for *how* you misunderstood...

I have MP stored in memory.  When I set up a new group/account/password for a site, I don't alter the url in any way.  So for instance if I go to http://www.somesite.com/signup.php and I want to create custom settings for this site, I will go to the Accounts tab, select New Group from the drop down menu, then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list (as I say, I've been using the extension for a while, so it's a pretty long list and there is no way I know of to change the order in which they appear), highlight the new item and then select New Account from the drop down menu.  All the while, over on the left side of the PWM menu (underneath File Edit View, etc) I see:

Master Password          |********************|
Store Master password  |in memory                       |
Using URL                    |somesite.com                  |

And I always just leave it that way.   In other words, I don't go in and add "http://www." to the beginning or "/*" to the end.  I just leave it the way it comes up.  I also don't change the url in the Account Specific Settings menu.  By default it says "somesite.com" and I just leave it that way.  Are you saying that in order to enable my custom settings I have to go and add the wildcards to the url?  Why would this be, though, since "somesite.com" is already a match for "http://www.somesite.com/login.php" ;  *.somesite.com/* doesn't make it match better, it just forces me to type more!

Ok, this is very important for you to understand... The 'Using URL' field is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from the PATTERN TO MATCH ON.

I have a FR to relabel the 'Use the following URL...' field to 'Use the following text/string...', because it does not have to be a URL, it can be anything...

The important/critical part to the security of PWM is the PATTERN that is used to detect matching URLs. These are found on the 'URLs' tab in the Advanced settings for an account - and it is in the pattern itself that I am talking about adding the extra characters - to make sure you aren't visiting a phishing site.

Lastly - the pattern to match on is NOT automatically created for you - you *must* do this yourself...

[Miquel 'Fire' Burns]

« Last Edit: Today at 08:18:44 AM by tanstaafl »

What did you change almost a month later?

[Eric H. Jung]

I have a FR to relabel the 'Use the following URL...' field to 'Use the following text/string...', because it does not have to be a URL, it can be anything...

It's appropriate to make this change before all the translation work happens. You still want me to do this? Miquel, feel like making the change? (I'm trying to get you to commit to the Firefox edition

[Miquel 'Fire' Burns]

Done.

[Eric H. Jung]

Done.

<!ENTITY accountsettings.016.value "Use the following string to calculate the generated password:">

Is the term "string" a programmer's term, or is it common knowledge? If the latter, should it say "text"? I'm not asking you to change it yet, just asking for opinions.

[Miquel 'Fire' Burns]

There's too many changes at once for me to keep up with. I'm getting confused easily right now with the Firefox Edition.

I'll get back to you on that text/string thing however. I'm too programmer based, and I think I have a forum that might help me out with this request.

[tanstaafl]

Heh...

Thats why I chose 'text/string' - so that it would be understandable to non-programmers, but more meaningful to more advanced users... you really think it is confusing?

I don't really mind if it is changed to just 'text' though...