- March 8, 2023
- 1:58 am
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How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords on Linux
Wi-Fi is an essential part of our daily lives, and we rely on it to connect to the internet on our devices. Sometimes, we need to view saved Wi-Fi passwords on our Linux system for various reasons, such as reconnecting to a Wi-Fi network on a new device. In this how-to guide, we’ll explain how to view saved Wi-Fi passwords from the command line on Linux.
Using Network Manager
The nmcli command is a command-line tool that allows you to manage network connections on Linux. You can use the nmcli command to view saved Wi-Fi passwords on your Linux system by following these steps:
Step 1: Open Terminal
Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard or by searching for it in the applications menu.
Step 2: Install Network Manager
On Debian/Ubuntu-based distros, run:
sudo apt install network-manager
On Fedora/RPM-based distros, run:
sudo dnf install NetworkManager
On Arch-based distros, run:
sudo pacman -S networkmanager
Step 3: List Saved Connections
To list all your saved network connections, including Wi-Fi networks, run:
nmcli connection show
Step 3: View Wi-Fi Password
To view the saved Wi-Fi password, run:
nmcli connection show <connection-name> | grep -i wifi-sec.psk:
Replace <connection-name> with the name of the Wi-Fi network whose password you want to view. For example, if the Wi-Fi network name is “MyHomeNetwork,” the command will look like this:
nmcli connection show MyHomeNetwork | grep -i wifi-sec.psk:
The output of this command will display the saved Wi-Fi password for the network.
Using WPA Supplicant
The wpa_supplicant.conf file is a configuration file for the WPA Supplicant, which is a software implementation of the WPA security protocol. This file stores the Wi-Fi network information, including the password. You can view the saved Wi-Fi passwords by following these steps:
Step 1: Open Terminal
Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard or by searching for it in the applications menu.
Step 2: Install WPA Supplicant
On Debian/Ubuntu-based distros, run:
sudo apt install wpasupplicant
On Fedora/RPM-based distros, run:
sudo dnf install wpa_supplicant
On Arch-based distros, run:
sudo pacman -S wpa_supplicant
Step 3: Navigate to WPA Supplicant File
To navigate to the wpa_supplicant.conf file, run:
cd /etc/wpa_supplicant/
Step 4: View Wi-Fi Password
To view the saved Wi-Fi password, run:
sudo cat wpa_supplicant.conf
This command will display the contents of the wpa_supplicant.conf file, including the saved Wi-Fi passwords.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the nmcli command and the wpa_supplicant.conf file are both useful tools to manage and troubleshoot network connections on Linux. By using these methods, you can easily view saved Wi-Fi passwords on your Linux system, which can be helpful in various situations.
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