[systemd-devel] crypto: to show stars or not to show them

[Lennart Poettering]

On Tue, 29.03.11 00:10, Jan Engelhardt (jengelh at medozas.de) wrote:

> >> Incorporating Graham's suggestion to use BKSP instead:
> >
> >Hmm?
> >
> >Backspace? Why backspace?
> 
> Quoting Graham:
> 
> "On a slightly different note; Would it be possible to watch for 
> unprintable keys? For example, what about a single backspace/delete at 
> the start of the prompt, before you've entered anything? I'm used to tab 
> making things appear, not making things disappear. On the other hand, 
> I'm used to backspace/delete making things disappear; so it feels more 
> logical to me."

Ah, ok. I see. If BS is handled like this only as very first keypress
(and not later on anymore) this indeed makes more sense.

I have now fixed git to accept both TAB and BS as silent mode switch
key. TAB at any time, and BS only if pressed as very first key on the
prompt. 

That way people who backspace away what they already typed won't be
surprised, and folks who want to unconditionally use BS as first thing
in password fields can do so now.

Everybody happy? Please test current git. (Just run
"systemd-ask-password 'Piepapo?'" to play around with this). I think the
"feeling" of what currently is in git is pretty cool, and feels natural.

(BTW, somebody with too much time should add a similar trick to the
password entry boxes of gtk and qt...)

Lennart

-- 
Lennart Poettering - Red Hat, Inc.