How to base64 encode /dev/random or /dev/urandom?

bash linux base64 uuencode random
alexanderpas picture alexanderpas · Aug 9, 2009 · Viewed 53.1k times · Source

cat /dev/urandom is always a fun way to create scrolling characters on your display, but produces too many non-printable characters.

Is there an easy way to encode it on the command-line in such a way that all of its output are readable characters, base64 or uuencode for example.

Note that I prefer solutions that require no additional files to be created.

Answer

Pascal MARTIN picture Pascal MARTIN · Aug 9, 2009

What about something like 

cat /dev/urandom | base64

Which gives (lots of) stuff like 
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Or, without the (useless) cat+pipe :

base64 /dev/urandom

(Same kind of output ^^ )


EDIT : you can also user the --wrap option of base64, to avoid having "short lines" :

base64 --wrap=0 /dev/urandom

This will remove wrapping, and you'll get "full-screen" display ^^

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