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pass Cheatsheet

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pass is the standard unix password manager. It stores passwords in GPG-encrypted files organized in a directory tree. Simple, secure, and works with git for syncing.

Initialization

  • pass init <gpg-id> - Initialize password store with GPG key
  • pass git init - Initialize git repository in password store
  • ~/.password-store/ - Default password store location

Basic Operations

  • pass - Show list of passwords
  • pass <entry> - Show password for entry
  • pass -c <entry> - Copy password to clipboard
  • pass insert <entry> - Insert new password (prompts)
  • pass generate <entry> <length> - Generate random password
  • pass rm <entry> - Remove password entry
  • pass mv <old> <new> - Rename/move entry
  • pass cp <old> <new> - Copy entry

Password Generation

  • pass generate <entry> 20 - Generate 20-character password
  • pass generate -n <entry> 16 - Generate without symbols
  • pass generate -c <entry> 24 - Generate and copy to clipboard
  • pass generate -i <entry> - Interactive generation

Multi-line Entries

  • pass insert -m <entry> - Insert multi-line entry
  • First line is password, additional lines are metadata
  • pass edit <entry> - Edit entry with $EDITOR

Git Integration

  • pass git init - Initialize git repo
  • pass git push - Push to remote
  • pass git pull - Pull from remote
  • pass git log - Show commit history

Common Examples

Initialize Store

pass init your@email.com

Initialize password store with your GPG key.

Generate Password

pass generate -c websites/github.com 32

Generate and copy 32-character password.

Retrieve Password

pass websites/github.com

Show password for entry.

Copy to Clipboard

pass -c websites/github.com

Copy password to clipboard (clears after 45 seconds).

Multi-line Entry

pass insert -m accounts/example.com
# Enter password, then username, then notes

Create entry with password and metadata.

Git Sync

pass git init
pass git remote add origin git@example.com:pass.git
pass git push

Set up git sync for password store.

Tips

  • Organize passwords in directories (websites/, servers/, etc.)
  • Use -c flag to copy passwords without displaying them
  • First line of entry is the password, rest is metadata
  • Git integration makes it easy to sync across devices
  • Works great with browser extensions (passff, browserpass)
  • Use pass-otp for TOTP codes
  • Simple, auditable, and secure