6. mtDWCLI
mtDWCLI is a program that provides random data and cryptographic functionality via a Command Line Interface (CLI). It offers the same features at the GUI based mtDataWell.
6.1 Commands
mtDWCLI reads instructions from the user via GNU Readline. This offers useful interactive facilities like using the up and down arrows to access previous commands.
It is also possible to run a script from the command line like these examples:
cat script.txt | mtdwcli mtdwcli < script.txt mtdwcli < script.txt > log.txt 2>&1
Here is the complete list of commands that mtDWCLI accepts:
| Command | Arguments | Notes |
| about | About the program | |
| app cardshuff | Shuffle a pack of cards | |
| app cointoss | <INTEGER> | Toss this number of coins |
| app declist | <INTEGER> <DECIMAL MIN> <DECIMAL MAX> | List this number of random decimal numbers between this minimum and maximum |
| app diceroll | <INTEGER> <INTEGER FACES> | Roll this number of dice with the given number of faces |
| app homoglyph analyse | <INPUT FILENAME UTF-8> | Analyse this UTF-8 text file |
| app homoglyph clean | <INPUT FILENAME UTF-8> <OUTPUT FILENAME UTF-8> | Clean this UTF-8 text file back to ASCII characters (if possible) |
| app homoglyph decode | <INPUT FILENAME UTF-8> <OUTPUT FILENAME BIN> | Decode this encoded UTF-8 file back to the original binary file |
| app homoglyph encode | <INPUT FILENAME UTF-8> <INPUT FILENAME BIN> <OUTPUT FILENAME UTF-8> | Encode this UTF-8 text file with this binary file |
| app intlist | <INTEGER> <INTEGER MIN> <INTEGER RANGE> | List this number of random integers from the minimum over the set range |
| app numshuff | <INTEGER> | Shuffle the integers from 0 to the given number minus 1 |
| app password | <INTEGER> <INTEGER CHARS> [lower] [upper] [num] [other] [STRING] | List this number of passwords, with this number of characters, with the given properties |
| app pins | <INTEGER> <INTEGER DIGITS> | List this number of pin numbers with the given number of digits |
| app utf8font clean | <INPUT FILENAME UTF-8> <OUTPUT FILENAME UTF-8> | Clean an encoded UTF-8 font text file, and return to ASCII encoding |
| app utf8font encode | <INPUT FILENAME UTF-8> <INTEGER> <OUTPUT FILENAME UTF-8> | Encode an ASCII text file using a given UTF-8 font |
| app utf8font list | List the UTF-8 fonts and their codes | |
| butt add buckets | <INTEGER> | Add buckets to the current OTP |
| butt add otp | <STRING> | Create a new named OTP |
| butt add random otp | Create a new randomly named OTP | |
| butt delete otp | <STRING> | Delete the named OTP |
| butt empty | Empty the current OTP | |
| butt import otp | <PATH> | Import an OTP from the filesystem |
| butt info | Print info about the Butt | |
| butt list | List all of the OTP names | |
| butt set otp | <STRING> | Change the current OTP |
| butt set read_only | Disable OTP actions | |
| butt set read_write | Enable OTP actions | |
| db | <PATH> | Open a database (or create it) |
| help | [ARG]... | Display help on this command |
| info | Display Well, Butt and Soda info | |
| q | Quit the program | |
| quit | Quit the program | |
| soda decode | <INPUT FILENAME> <OUTPUT FILENAME> | Decode a Soda file |
| soda encode | <INPUT FILENAME> <OUTPUT FILENAME> | Create a Soda file |
| soda file info | <FILENAME> | Print information about a Soda file |
| soda info | Print information about the current Soda settings | |
| soda multi decode | <INPUT FILENAME> <OUTPUT FILENAME> | Decode a nested Soda file |
| soda multi encode | <INPUT FILENAME> <OUTPUT FILENAME> <BUTT NAME>... | Create a nested Soda file |
| soda set mode | <INTEGER> | Set the Soda mode. 0=Encrypt using the butt; 1=Don't encrypt, store as raw data |
| tap decode | <INPUT FILENAME> <OUTPUT FILENAME> | Decode a Bottle file to the original file stored inside the Soda |
| tap encode | <INPUT BOTTLE> <INPUT FILE> <OUTPUT BOTTLE> | Create a Bottle file using a PNG/FLAC Bottle and a Soda input file |
| tap file info | <FILENAME> | Print information about this Bottle file |
| tap multi decode | <INPUT FILENAME> <OUTPUT FILENAME> | Decode a nested Bottle file (e.g. a PNG stored inside a FLAC) |
| well add path | <PATH> | Add the filenames inside this path to the Well database |
| well empty | Remove all filenames from the Well database | |
| well info | Print information about the Well | |
| well reset shifts | Reset the Well shifts | |
| well save file | <BYTES> <FILENAME> | Create a file of random data using the Well |
| well seed | Re-seed the Well PRNG using the current time | |
| well seed int | <INTEGER> | Re-seed the Well PRNG using this integer |
6.2 Examples
6.2.1 Setting up a Well
The first time you use mtDWCLI you will need to set up the Well in order to create high quality random data. This is done by passing some files to the Well as a source of real world entropy:
well add path /some/directory/location/001 well add path /some/directory/location/002 well add path /some/directory/location/003
To find out the current state of the Well:
well info
Once the Well is set up you can use it to create arbitrary files of random data like this:
well save file 11 /some/directory/location/004.bin well save file 127 /some/directory/location/005.bin well save file 128 /some/directory/location/006.bin well save file 129 /some/directory/location/007.bin well save file 1000000 /some/directory/location/010.bin
6.2.2 Managing the Butt
The first time you use mtDWCLI you will need to set up the Butt to use a one time pad (OTP). By default a random OTP name is created for you.
You must then put some Well data into the Butt using the Well as a source:
butt add buckets 25
Each bucket is 16 megabytes.
You can create as many OTP's as you like, such as:
butt add otp bertie_06 butt add otp jane_54 butt add otp george_15 butt add otp rosi_06
To switch to using a different OTP for encryption, and to see its current state use these commands:
butt set otp jane_54 butt info
6.2.3 Creating Soda
To encode a user file using encryption with data from the current Butt you could do this:
# encode and encrypt soda set mode 0 soda encode input.txt output.soda
Sometimes you may not want to encrypt something. For example if you wanted to store some data in a PNG or FLAC file later using a Tap, you may not want to encrypt. In this case to encode a Soda file you would use:
# encode but don't encrypt soda set mode 1 soda encode input.txt output.soda
You can also encode multiple times using different Butts as follows:
soda multi encode input.txt output.soda george_15 jane_54 rosi_06 bertie_06
To decode a single or multiple nested Soda files you would use:
soda multi decode output.soda input2.txt
6.2.4 Using a Tap
If you want to conceal a file inside a PNG or FLAC file you would do this:
tap encode bottle.flac input.txt bottle2.flac
The output file is still a valid audio file and can be used as such. However it also contains the input.txt file which can be extracted by using:
tap decode bottle2.flac input2.txt
It is possible to nest several Soda levels in a file, and then place this into a FLAC or PNG file in a kind of Russian doll. To extract a message buried inside more than one level you could use:
soda multi encode input.txt input.soda butt_1 butt_2 butt_3 butt_4 tap encode bottle.flac input.soda bottle.soda.flac tap multi decode bottle.soda.flac input2.txt