apg command not found

In this troubleshooting guide we learn how to fix apg command not found error message

Introduction

When you run more command in linux terminal / console, you get the following error message

apg: command not found

or when using sudo you get the following error message

sudo: apg: command not found

Solutions to apg: command not found

How To Fix apg: command not found in Ubuntu / Debian / Kali Linux / Raspbian

In Ubuntu apg is provided by apg package.

apg is:

APG (Automated Password Generator) is the tool set for random password generation. It generates some random words of required type and prints them to standard output. This binary package contains only the standalone version of apg. Advantages:

  • Built-in ANSI X9.17 RNG (Random Number Generator)(CAST/SHA1)
  • Built-in password quality checking system (now it has support for Bloom filter for faster access)
  • Two Password Generation Algorithms:
    1. Pronounceable Password Generation Algorithm (according to NIST FIPS 181)
    2. Random Character Password Generation Algorithm with 35 configurable modes of operation
  • Configurable password length parameters
  • Configurable amount of generated passwords
  • Ability to initialize RNG with user string
  • Support for /dev/random
  • Ability to crypt() generated passwords and print them as additional output.
  • Special parameters to use APG in script
  • Ability to log password generation requests for network version
  • Ability to control APG service access using tcpd
  • Ability to use password generation service from any type of box (Mac, WinXX, etc.) that connected to network
  • Ability to enforce remote users to use only allowed type of password generation The client/server version of apg has been deliberately omitted.

Please note that there are security flaws in pronounceable password generation schemes (see Ganesan / Davis “A New Attack on Random Pronounceable Password Generators”, in “Proceedings of the 17th National Computer Security Conference (NCSC), Oct. 11-14, 1994 (Volume 1)”, http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/history/nissc/ 1994-17th-NCSC-proceedings-vol-1.pdf, pages 203-216)

Also note that the FIPS 181 standard from 1993 has been withdrawn by NIST in 2015 with no superseding publication. This means that the document is considered by its publicher as obsolete and not been updated to reference current or revised voluntary industry standards, federal specifications, or federal data standards.

apg has not seen upstream attention since 2003, upstream is not answering e-mail, and the upstream web page does not look like it is in good working order. The Debian maintainer plans to discontinue apg maintenance as soon as an actually maintained software with a compariable feature set becomes available.

To fix this problem, we can install more using the command below.

sudo apt-get -y install apg

This command might take some time to finish depending on your machine internet connection.

You can also use apt command to install apg.

sudo apt -y install apg

Or if you have aptitude installed you can use the following command.

sudo aptitude install apg

Summary

In this tutorial we learn how to fix apg command not found error in Ubuntu / Debian / Kali Linux or Raspbian distribution.