Simplest method of asking user for password using graphical dialog in Python?

Question

I'm developing a backup daemon that will run silently in the background. The daemon relies on the duplicity backup software, which when backing up requires an encryption key. I cannot ask for the password through the console because obviously, the daemon has no access to such.

How could I easily create a prompt that asks the user to type in a password, and returns it to the application (through a Python variable)? I'm using Python 2.7.

Answer 1

Because you asked for the simplest (Python 2.7):

import Tkinter, tkSimpleDialog
tkSimpleDialog.askstring("Password", "Enter password:", show='*')

For Python 3.3:

import tkinter
tkinter.simpledialog.askstring("Password", "Enter password:", show='*')

For Python 3.6+:

import tkinter as tk
import tkinter.simpledialog
tk.Tk().withdraw()
tkinter.simpledialog.askstring("Password", "Enter password:", show='*')

Answer 2

from Tkinter import *

def getpwd():
    password = ''
    root = Tk()
    pwdbox = Entry(root, show = '*')
    def onpwdentry(evt):
         password = pwdbox.get()
         root.destroy()
    def onokclick():
         password = pwdbox.get()
         root.destroy()
    Label(root, text = 'Password').pack(side = 'top')

    pwdbox.pack(side = 'top')
    pwdbox.bind('<Return>', onpwdentry)
    Button(root, command=onokclick, text = 'OK').pack(side = 'top')

    root.mainloop()
    return password

Answer 3

Because not everyone wants to use TK, here's a script using PyQt:

from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QInputDialog, QLineEdit
import sys
app = QApplication(sys.argv)
qd = QInputDialog()
qd.setTextEchoMode(QLineEdit.Password)
qd.show()
app.exec()

And, because you wouldn't usually just ask a user for a password just for the heck of it:

#!/bin/env python3
#passwordPrompt.py

from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QInputDialog
import sys, time

def succFunc():
  sys.stdout.write(qd.textValue())
  sys.stdout.flush()
  exit(0)

def failFunc():
  exit(1)

app = QApplication(sys.argv)
qd = QInputDialog()
#QLineEdit.Password
qd.setTextEchoMode(2)
qd.rejected.connect(failFunc)
qd.accepted.connect(succFunc)
qd.show()
app.exec()

And the corresponding bash function:

#!/bin/bash

passwordPrompt.py | tee