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Install keepass mac11/30/2023 The big selling point of cloud-based password managers like 1Password and LastPass is convenience. I tried it but had trouble importing my 1Password vault. If what I describe below sounds like too much trouble, but you still want an open-source solution, check out Bitwarden, which offers both a cloud service and a self-hosted option (though the self-hosted option is a total pain to set up). If you want total control over your data and have the time and skills to maintain it securely, KeePass may be a good option. As Spider-Man says, “With great power comes great responsibility.” But tech companies like Apple and Google are big for a reason: control comes with a cost. There’s been a lot of talk lately about “sovereignty” with regard to software-specifically, ownership and control of your data, free of big tech’s cloud. So if you’re fed up with proprietary, cloud-based password managers, read on! But understand that going your own way, while empowering, isn’t as easy or necessarily as secure. I’ll write about that experience soon, but for now, I mention it only because that’s where I’m now storing my passwords. I recently purchased a Synology NAS and several hard drives to store more of my data locally. Recent iCloud outages have made me much leerier of relying on the cloud. I also wanted more local control over my data. It’s less about being unhappy with 1Password’s direction than preferring my data in open formats, and AgileBits’ recent changes have made me decide that the tradeoff between convenience and openness was no longer worth it. But I decided some time ago to switch from 1Password back to the KeePass ecosystem. I still think 1Password is a great product, and you are far better off with any password manager than none at all. Even my non-technical wife, commented on how 1Password wasn’t as smooth as it used to be. Overall, both the desktop and mobile apps have gotten clunkier and slower. That’s just one small example of AgileBits changing something on the Mac to promote cross-platform compatibility. For example, the 1Password browser extension used the Command-\ shortcut to autofill passwords-but the shortcut recently changed to Command-Shift-X to be consistent across all platforms. I have successfully used for a few years now (the company gave me a free subscription) but prefer to have my password database under my direct control.Īlong with my philosophical dislike of having my essential data locked into a single provider, I’ve also been running into more annoyances with 1Password. Instead, you have to use, which makes some people uncomfortable. The other notable change is that 1Password 8 will no longer let you store your password database locally. Electron is widely criticized, and deservedly so, but many apps might not have been ported to the Mac without it. In essence, Electron packages a Web app so that it acts like a native Mac app, which is great for cross-platform compatibility but seldom results in an app that feels like it was designed for the Mac. The upcoming 1Password 8, currently in early access, shifts the password manager to the cross-platform Electron development framework. Unfortunately, 1Password developer AgileBits seems to be moving away from its Apple-centric roots. I was a little uncomfortable with 1Password’s proprietary database format and later with how AgileBits pushed 1Password users to store passwords on, but I felt the tradeoff for less friction was worthwhile. With KeePass, I always felt like I had complete control of my password database. The original KeePass has always been Windows-only, but there are multiple KeePass-compatible apps for all platforms, and you’re free to pick whichever one is right for you. However, I always somewhat regretted switching away from KeePass, which stores its encrypted database in a standardized, open format. (For evidence of my longtime 1Password loyalty, see “ 1Password 7 for Mac Offers a Fresh Look… for an Upgrade Price,” 18 June 2018.) KeePass was always rough around the edges, while 1Password was neatly integrated with the Mac and iPhone. It was made just for the Mac and looked the part. When I moved back to the Apple world in the late 2000s, I was drawn in by the shininess of 1Password. I’ve been using password managers for a long time, starting with the open-source KeePass in Windows nearly 20 years ago. #1664: Real system requirements for OS 2023, beware Siri creating alarms instead of timers.#1665: Important OS security updates, abusive Web notifications, solve myopia with an iPhone, Self Service Repair.#1666: Air quality websites and apps, The Password Game.#1667: OS Rapid Security Responses, 1Password and 2FA, using Siri to request music.#1668: Updated Rapid Security Responses, OS public betas, screen saver bug fixed, “Red Team Blues” book review.
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