How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
First Steps Tutorial
A quick tutorial showing you the basic usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will reveal how to really use KeePass. It describes only the essential usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Developing a new database
The very first step is developing a new password database. KeePass will store all your passwords in this database. To generate one, click 'File - New...' however menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A screen can look, which prompts you for a master password and/or key file. The database will undoubtedly be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here will be the only password you'll ever have to keep in mind from on now. It ought to be long and accumulated of mixed characters. Remember that whenever someone gets your database file and guesses the password, he could access all passwords you stored in the database.
Because of this tutorial, we'll just work with a password, not really a key file. Click into the password edit field and enter a password of one's choice. The password edit control isn't limited in total, so feel absolve to even enter an entire sentence (just remember that you'll need to keep in mind it).
KeePass 1.x Only
After clicking [OK], a second dialog appears, in which you have to repeat the master password you just entered in the previous dialog. This is in order to avoid accidental typing errors.
KeePass 2.x Only
After clicking [OK], a second dialog appears. In this dialog you can configure some generic database properties. For now, just leave everything as it is and click [OK].
Now you see the main window. On the left, you begin to see the entry groups. On the best, you see the particular password entries. The password entries are grouped together into the password groups you see on the left. So, depending which group on the left you selected, it'll demonstrate the entries in this group in the right view. KeePass has established a couple of default groups for you, but you're no cost to delete them and create your personal ones.
Adding an access
Time for you to store your very first password in the KeePass database! Right-click into the proper password entry view and choose 'Add Entry...' .A window will pop up. In this window it's simple to edit your entry: enter some title because of it, an username, an URL, the actual password, etc. If that you do not need some of the fields, just leave them empty. When you're done, click [OK].
You'll see your brand-new entry in the password list on the proper now.
How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
| KeePass 2.40 | |
|---|---|
Installer for Windows (2.40): Download NowKeePass-2.40-Setup.exe Download the EXE file above, run it and follow the steps of the installation program. You need local installation rights (use the Portable version on the right, if you don't have local installation rights). | Portable (2.40): Download NowKeePass-2.40.zip Download the ZIP package above and unpack it to your favorite location (USB stick, ...). KeePass runs without any additional installation and won't store any settings outside the application directory. |
| Supported operating systems: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 (each 32-bit and 64-bit), Mono (Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, ...). | |
| KeePass 1.36 | |
|---|---|
| Installer for Windows (1.36):Download Now KeePass-1.36-Setup.exe Download the EXE file above, run it and follow the steps of the installation program. You need local installation rights (use the Portable version on the right, if you don't have local installation rights). | Portable (1.36):Download Now KeePass-1.36.zip Download the ZIP package above and unpack it to your favorite location (USB stick, ...). KeePass runs without any additional installation and won't store any settings outside the application directory. |
| Supported operating systems: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 (each 32-bit and 64-bit), Wine. | |
How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
Using entries
You got the brand new entry in the password list now. Exactly what do you do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've several options now. You can as an example copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you are able to post it into any other program of your choice. Exactly the same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you are able to drag&drop fields into other windows. To see an example of how this works, see this page: Drag&Dropping Fields.
KeePass can open the URL you specified. To achieve this, just click 'URL(s) - Open URL(s)' in the context menu. KeePass begins the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
Saving the database
It's time to save our database. Click onto the 'Save' toolbar button (looks like a disk; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database the first time, at this point you need certainly to specify an area where you would like the database file to be stored.
How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! You can now have a go through the more advanced top features of KeePass.
Passwords and Key Files: In the tutorial above we've encrypted the database utilizing a password. But KeePass also supports key files, i.e. you can lock your database using a file (which you are able to tote around in your USB stick for example). It even supports combining those two methods for maximum security.
TAN Entries: TAN entries are one-time passwords. Many banks are employing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when utilizing them.
Auto-Type: The auto-typing functionality is just a very powerful feature. In the tutorial above you've copied the username and password of an access to the clipboard. Wouldn't it be nice if KeePass would just type those strings for you into other windows? Wouldn't it be nice if you could define whole sequences of keypresses that KeePass should type for you personally? That's exactly what the Auto-Typing feature does: it sends simulated keypresses for you to other windows!
URL Field Capabilities: The URL field supports URLs of course. In the tutorial, you've learned as you are able to enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. But the URL field can do more! It really supports a variety of protocols (not just
http) and supports executing Windows command lines through the cmd:// virtual protocol. The field also includes a powerful substitution engine, replacing codes by other fields (username, password, ...) of this entry.Command Line Capabilities: You can open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you realize that you may also send the password for the database and key file location within the command line? You can even utilize the command line to pre-select a key file for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass features a powerful plugin architecture. In the event that you miss some functionality, have a go through the plugins page to see if you can find other folks that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
General information
When downloading KeePass, you've the choice between 3 different packages:
- KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe: A specialist program for Windows.
- KeePass-2.xx.zip: A KeePass ZIP package (portable version).
- KeePass-2.xx-Source.zip: The foundation code.
The installer and the portable version are described at length below.
The origin code package contains everything required to compile KeePass. It includes the C#/C++ source code and header files, resource files, sources for building the installer, etc.
Updating KeePass:
Each time a new KeePass version has been released, you can update your existing KeePass installation, without losing any configuration settings. The steps are depending where package you are using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations must also be updated once you put in a new KeePass version. You can find the most recent translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team offers an installer, which copies KeePass to your hard drive, creates shortcuts in the start menu and associates KDBX files with KeePass, if desired.
Additionally, KeePass is automatically configured to store its settings in the applying data directory of the current user. This way multiple users can use one KeePass installation without overwriting each other's settings (each user has his own configuration file). The setup program must run with administrative rights, however KeePass runs fine without administrative rights once it is installed.
Installation:
To put in KeePass, run the
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file and follow the wizard.Updating:
Run the
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file. You do not need certainly to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options will not be lost.Uninstallation:
To be able to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which can be accessible with a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program part of the device control panel. If in addition you want to remove your configuration settings, you will need to delete the configuration file in the applying data directory of your report
Silent Installation:
The KeePass installer
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe supports command line switches for silent installation, i.e. the program gets installed without asking the user for target directory or association options. The default settings of the installer are used.The
/SILENT command line switch performs a silent installation and shows a status dialog throughout the setup process. No questions is likely to be asked though.The
/VERYSILENT command line switch performs a silent installation and does not show a status dialog throughout the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to choose the destination road to which KeePass is installed. However, once the installer detects a current KeePass installation, it assumes that the user wants to perform an upgrade and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will be overwritten by the new version. If you wish to move an existing KeePass installation to a different path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the newest version will then display the destination path selection page again.
Options/Components:
The installation options/components are explained in more detail here: What do the 2.x installation options/components mean at length?.
How To Use Yubikey With Keepass
Portable version (KeePass-2.xx.zip file)
The portable version can be carried around on portable devices (like USB sticks) and runs on any computer directly from the unit, without the installation. It doesn't store anything on one's body (in contrast to the setup package, see above). KeePass doesn't create any new registry keys and it doesn't create any configuration files in your Windows or application data directory of one's user profile.
Make sure that KeePass has write usage of its application directory. Otherwise, if it doesn't have, it'll try to store the configuration options (nothing security-relevant though) into the applying data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about this, see these pages
Installation:
KeePass does not must be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your preferred ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to a spot of your decision (for example onto your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the latest portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy new files over the old ones. Your configuration settings will not be lost (the settings are stored in the KeePass.config.xml file, which won't be overwritten, because KeePass ZIP packages don't include a KeePass.config.xml file).
Uninstallation:
Simply delete the KeePass folder. This can leave no trace of KeePass on your system.