Bytes and encodings

These generators draw random bytes and then encode them. --bytes and --bits ask for entropy; --length asks for exact output characters and samples the encoding alphabet directly.

All eight commands share the same flags:

Flag	Effect
`--hex`	Hex output
`--base64`	Standard padded base64
`--base64url`	URL-safe base64, unpadded by default
`--base32`	RFC 4648 base32
`--base58`	Bitcoin base58, no look-alikes
`--crockford`	Crockford base32, excludes I, L, O and U
`--binary`	A string of 0 and 1
`-l, --length <n>`	Exact output length in characters
`--size <n>`	Alias for `--length`
`-b, --bytes <n>`	Draw that many random bytes
`--bits <n>`	Draw that many random bits
`--upper`	Uppercase output where the alphabet allows it
`--lower`	Lowercase output where the alphabet allows it
`--no-padding`	Strip base32 padding. Crockford is unpadded by default

Choose at most one encoding flag. Do not combine --length, --bytes and --bits.

bytes#

The flexible raw generator. Hex is the default; an encoding flag switches it.

mint bytes [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint 16 --base64
TcoXyFoyHhCLROSUHNYELA==

$ mint bytes --bytes 8 --base58
4qDXoaijori

mint <n> is shorthand for mint bytes --bytes <n>.

hex#

Lowercase hex, two characters per byte.

mint hex [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint hex --bytes 8
b169e2ce7e556bb7

$ mint hex --length 8 --upper
6DF35407

base64#

Standard base64 with padding. Use --no-padding to strip the trailing = characters.

mint base64 [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint base64 --bytes 12
5vdPtzsBmVM7Ok0+

base64url#

URL-safe base64: - and _ instead of + and /.

mint base64url [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint base64url --length 16
HrlKDfweiZTmutP7

base32#

RFC 4648 base32 using A-Z and 2-7.

mint base32 [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint base32 --bytes 8
TEZYDBG6WWYE6===

$ mint base32 --bytes 5 --no-padding
ODEAEUFO

base58#

Bitcoin base58. The alphabet removes 0, O, I and l.

mint base58 [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint base58 --bytes 8
ELXZBFmeg54

crockford#

Crockford base32, which removes I, L, O and U. Output is unpadded unless padding is enabled.

mint crockford [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint crockford --bytes 8
CE6B4NR0PTXSP

binary#

One character per bit.

mint binary [--bytes <n> | --length <n> | --bits <n>]

$ mint binary --bits 16
0101111001100110

Entropy#

With --bytes and --bits, the entropy is the number of random bytes times eight. With --length, the entropy is the character count times log base two of the encoding alphabet size. --length does not truncate an encoded byte string, it samples characters from the alphabet.