minio-webui/PASSWORD_GENERATION.md

Password Generation Guide for MinIO WebUI

Quick Start

Method 1: Simple Command (Recommended)

cd backend
npm run hash-password YourSecurePassword123!

This will output:

=== Generated Password Hash ===
ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH=$2b$12$...your.hash.here...

Copy the above line to your .env file

Method 2: Interactive Mode

cd backend
npm run generate-password

This will:

• Prompt you for a password (hidden input)
• Generate the bcrypt hash
• Show you the hash to copy to your .env file
• Verify the hash works correctly

Docker Usage

If you're using Docker, you can run the password generator inside the container:

# Method 1: Quick hash
docker exec -it minio-webui-backend npm run hash-password YourPassword123!

# Method 2: Interactive
docker exec -it minio-webui-backend npm run generate-password

Password Requirements

Your password should meet these criteria:

• Minimum 8 characters
• At least one uppercase letter (A-Z)
• At least one lowercase letter (a-z)
• At least one number (0-9)
• At least one special character (!@#$%^&* etc.)

Example Passwords

Good passwords:

• MySecure@Pass123
• Admin#2024!Strong
• MinIO$WebUI&Safe99

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Navigate to backend directory:

   cd backend
   

2. Generate your password hash:

   npm run hash-password MyChosenPassword123!
   

3. Copy the output (it will look like this):

   ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH=$2b$12$abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz...
   

4. Add to your .env file:

   # Edit your .env file
   nano ../.env
   
   # Or append directly
   echo "ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH=\$2b\$12\$your_hash_here" >> ../.env
   

5. Restart the backend:

   # If using Docker
   docker-compose restart backend
   
   # If running locally
   npm start
   

Troubleshooting

"bcrypt: command not found"

The script uses the Node.js bcrypt library, not the system bcrypt. Make sure you're in the backend directory and have run npm install.

"Cannot find module 'bcrypt'"

Install dependencies first:

cd backend
npm install

Hash not working

1. Make sure you copied the entire hash including the $2b$12$ prefix
2. Check for any extra spaces or line breaks
3. Ensure the .env file is in the project root directory
4. Try generating a new hash

Special characters in password

If your password contains special shell characters, wrap it in single quotes:

npm run hash-password 'My$uper!Pass@123'

Security Notes

1. Never commit your .env file to version control
2. Use strong passwords - the hash is only as secure as your password
3. Change default passwords immediately in production
4. Store .env securely with appropriate file permissions:

   chmod 600 .env
   

Advanced Usage

Custom Salt Rounds

The scripts use 12 salt rounds by default (recommended). If you need to change this, edit the script:

const saltRounds = 12; // Change this value if needed

Higher numbers are more secure but slower to compute.

Verify a Hash

To verify if a password matches a hash:

// In Node.js
const bcrypt = require('bcrypt');
const isValid = await bcrypt.compare('YourPassword', '$2b$12$...');
console.log(isValid); // true or false

Integration with MinIO WebUI

Once you've set the ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH in your .env file:

1. Start/restart the application
2. Navigate to the login page
3. Username: admin (fixed)
4. Password: The password you used to generate the hash

The application will compare your entered password with the stored hash for authentication.