getpass() and getuser() in Python (Password without echo)

getpass() prompts the user for a password without echoing. The getpass module provides a secure way to handle the password prompts where programs interact with the users via the terminal.

getpass module provides two functions :

Using getpass() function to prompt user password

Syntax: getpass.getpass(prompt=’Password: ‘, stream=None) 

The getpass() function is used to prompt to users using the string prompt and reads the input from the user as Password. The input read defaults to “Password: ” is returned to the caller as a string.

Example 1 : No Prompt provided by the caller 

Here, no prompt is provided by the caller. So, it is set to the default prompt “Password”. 

Python

# A simple Python program to demonstrate
# getpass.getpass() to read password
import getpass

try:
    p = getpass.getpass()
except Exception as error:
    print('ERROR', error)
else:
    print('Password entered:', p)

Output : 

$ python3 getpass_example1.py
Password: 
('Password entered:', 'aditi')

Example 2: Security Question 

There are certain programs that ask for security questions rather than asking for passwords for better security. Here, the prompt can be changed to any value. 

Python

# A simple Python program to demonstrate
# getpass.getpass() to read security question
import getpass

p = getpass.getpass(prompt='Your favorite flower? ')

if p.lower() == 'rose':
    print('Welcome..!!!')
else:
    print('The answer entered by you is incorrect..!!!')

Output : 

$ python3 getpass_example2.py

Your favorite flower?
Welcome..!!!

$ python3 getpass_example2.py

Your favorite flower?
The answer entered by you is incorrect..!!!

Using getuser() function for displaying username

Syntax: getpass.getuser()

The getuser() function displays the login name of the user. This function checks the environment variables LOGNAME, USER, LNAME and USERNAME, in order, and returns the value of the first non-empty string. 

Python

# Python program to demonstrate working of
# getpass.getuser()
import getpass

user = getpass.getuser()

while True:
    pwd = getpass.getpass("User Name : %s" % user)

    if pwd == 'abcd':
        print "Welcome!!!"
        break
    else:
        print "The password you entered is incorrect."

Output : 

$ python3 getpass_example3.py

User Name : bot
Welcome!!!

$ python3 getpass_example3.py

User Name : bot
The password you entered is incorrect.