#!/bin/sh

# Demonstrate reading passwords in a shell script
# while not echoing those passwords to the screen.

# License: LGPLv2

# Note `read -s` in bash 3 at least does not echo
# the return/newline either? Therefore we need to
# `echo >&2` after each read to simulate that.

getpassword()
{
    until [ "$password" = "$rpassword" -a -n "$password" ]; do
        read -s -p "Enter a password for user '$1' : " password; echo >&2
        read -s -p "Reenter password for user '$1' : " rpassword; echo >&2
    done
    echo "$password"
}

pw=`getpassword "${1:-blah}"`

echo "password is '$pw'"