37 replies to this topic

[the Battle Cat]

I have a great piece of software that has served me for a long time, it is called The Serial Keeper or TSK and is PPC software running under Rosetta on my machine.  Now that Lion is due to abolish Rosetta, I want to get the jump on it and already have my serial and registration data switched over to Cocoa or Universal when I install Lion.

I need to store software serial numbers, website account logins, and various registration data.  TSK did this beautifully.  I need your advise on some good software to purchase.  I would prefer a demo that I can try out beforehand.  I'm messing around with LicenseKeeper right now and although it will read in an XML data file produced by TSK, it loses almost all of the website account logins and registration data, preserving only their name.  LicenseKeeper works best with application serial numbers, and is clumsy with other types of data.

Help me out please.  Recommend something that will knock my socks off.

[mindnoise]

I am using 1Password Pro right now, i used it before on the iPod touch and the Mac Client was in the MacUpdate Promo sale, so i got it.
Has secure Browser Form support, License storage, Notes and Wallet function.

Seems very reliable and is very convenient in handling passwords.  
the apps are also updated on regular basis.

1 thump up here

[Thain Esh Kelch]

1Password is also one of the major sources of web browser crashes..

[teflon]

Quite likely, but mainly due to how Apple for many years very much shut of avenues that plug-ins could use, many of which were slightly kludged out of necessity. Unless you're talking about Chrome support, which is still in its infancy, or FF4 support, which is also fairly fresh.
Anyway, I've had zero problems with 1Password, I think it's very stable all around, as a mature product with years of work on it.

It too gets my vote for Serial and Registration storage, simply because it's a locked vault which I was using for a few years before they added the functionality, so this just keeps all my stuff in one place that I know will exist for a long time.

The sole issue is with importing data. i've no idea how one would really go about that, nor how successful it would be... It does have an Import facility, and seems to make mention of LicenseKeeper, with a guide on how to do so popping up, so I'm fairly hopeful!

[Janichsan]

I also use 1Password, without much problems regarding stability. I'd also pitch a vote for it.

[the Battle Cat]

Thanks!  An important thing here is getting my TSK data imported into the new serial keeper because it is a large database and I don't want to be doing this by hand.  You guys with 1Password, would you please check the import function carefully and comment on that?

[teflon]

Ah, sorry idiot me, I thought you said "The LIcense Keeper"...
There's no mention of The Serial Keeper, but if you can export to CSV or text, it can import from that?

[mindnoise]

the Battle Cat, on 22 May 2011 - 09:19 AM, said:

Thanks!  An important thing here is getting my TSK data imported into the new serial keeper because it is a large database and I don't want to be doing this by hand.  You guys with 1Password, would you please check the import function carefully and comment on that?

Here is the direct quote from the 1P help file.
Also I had less crashes that I can relate to 1P within FF4. But FF4 has real problems to wake up after sleeping - needs to restart. This is a real drag but I cannot relate it to 1P.

Quote

1Password can import data from many popular applications, including:
Mac OS X Keychain (Safari, Google Chrome, Camino, OmniWeb, etc.)
AppShelf
AutoID
Data Guardian1 (formerly Password Retriever)
eWallet2
Firefox
Flock
KeePass and KeePassX
LicenseKeeper
Minefield
Password Safe 3
PasswordWallet by S3
Passwords Plus3
RoboForm Passcards and Safenotes
SplashID by SplashData
TurboPasswords (formerly Cloak)
Web Confidential
You can use 1Password’s Import Assistant to import all of the above formats as well as others. To do this, select the File > Import… menu option in the main 1Password application. This will bring up the Import Assistant, which will walk you through the import process. Select the program you want to import from by selecting the corresponding import format and then following the instructions specific to that program.
1 For Data Guardian we no longer provide a fixed import because it has become more flexible than in the past. We list it because we know that it does import so easily. Just select "CSV or Delimited Text" as the import format.
2 For eWallet we are not able to split their "flat list" .txt files into individual items during an import. Instead, your eWallet information will be placed into a single Secure Note. According to the makers of eWallet, their own software cannot import these files back to itself as they aren't intended to be used in that manner. If you have access to a version of eWallet that can export to a CSV format file we should be able to import from it in a better fashion.
3 Password Plus exports data in only three columns. This does not provide enough structure for us to create full Login entries in 1Password. Each Password Plus record, instead, will be placed in a Secure Note.
Importing Text Files
1Password does not have an explicit support for importing data from all applications. In addition to the above formats, 1Password has a text file importer that can import items whose values are separated by commas, tabs, or spaces. To use this, specify “CSV or Delimited Text” as the import format. The “CSV or Delimited Text” importer will allow you to specify which columns in your CSV file should be used for each 1Password field.
It is very important that the generic CSV file not have any blank lines in it before attempting an import into 1Password.
Example Import Using Generic CSV File

For example, 1Password cannot import directly from Pastor (it stores passwords in an RC4-encrypted database) but it is very easy to import information using the “CSV or Delimited Text” import format:
Export data from Pastor using the File > Export menu option.
Click 1Password > Import
Choose CSV or Delimited Text and click Continue
Choose the exported file and click Start Import
Map fields as Title, URL, Username, Password, and Notes
Click Continue and finish the import
While the above is somewhat specifically for Pastor, it can be applied to any application that allows you to export your data as a tab- or comma-separated set of values.
An example comma-separated CSV import file to import Logins items might look like this:
    Title,URL,Username,Password,Notes
    test login 1,http://host1.example.com,testingonly,test1,notes for "test login 1"
    test login 2,http://host2.example.com,testingonly,test2,notes for "test login 2"
    test login 3,http://host3.example.com,testingonly,test3,notes for "test login 3"

[the Battle Cat]

Crap.  Looks like I'm going to have to install 1Password and dick with it to see if I can import from The Serial Keeper.  The Serial Keeper can export XML and comma delimited text files.   I was afraid that this wasn't going to be an easy transfer and I guess I was right.

[Frigidman]

On the side note about browser stability with 1P... is all that popsnizzle something you can NOT turn on?

I'm kind of in the same boat looking for a new location to store accounts, notes, etc in a secure vault, because Appl'es Keychain Secure Notes in 10.6x has this horrible bug where they randomly just empty themselves out, entirely losing all your data. New bug in 10.6, as keychain never did this in 10.5. So I am looking for something new, but I can't have some software fraken with my browsers, given what I do for a living.

Can I turn off all browser integration with 1P?

[mindnoise]

Frigidman, on 23 May 2011 - 09:49 AM, said:

On the side note about browser stability with 1P... is all that popsnizzle something you can NOT turn on?

I'm kind of in the same boat looking for a new location to store accounts, notes, etc in a secure vault, because Appl'es Keychain Secure Notes in 10.6x has this horrible bug where they randomly just empty themselves out, entirely losing all your data. New bug in 10.6, as keychain never did this in 10.5. So I am looking for something new, but I can't have some software fraken with my browsers, given what I do for a living.

Can I turn off all browser integration with 1P?

In the 1P prefs you can disable and remove Browser support for good.
Or choose which Browser to interact and which not. e.g. Using only Camino for storing data and stay away from FF3 or 4.

I am not doing marketing here just helping to supply some answers.
I just more or less accidentally endend up with 1P and liked it somewhat.

[the Battle Cat]

Fm's question hit upon another concern of mine that was steering me away from 1Password, I didn't want it to mess with my browsers.  My browsers have their own system that works fine.  K.  I'm downloading 1Password now.  See if it will import my The Serial Keeper data.

[Janichsan]

the Battle Cat, on 23 May 2011 - 12:42 PM, said:

  My browsers have their own system that works fine.

You don't have to use 1Password in your browsers. You can simply choose to not install the appropriate plugins.

[the Battle Cat]

Janichsan, on 23 May 2011 - 01:32 PM, said:

You don't have to use 1Password in your browsers. You can simply choose to not install the appropriate plugins.

Yes.  Which is why I'm downloading it.  Don't make me come over there because if I do there will be bratwurst and sauerkraut everywhere and I'm not going to clean it up.

OK I could have been more clear.  My bad.  But I'm a cat, you should know what I mean when I meow.

[Eric5h5]

You know, you can just give me a ring when you need to instead of messing around with apps like this.  I have all your serial numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.

--Eric

[the Battle Cat]

Ha ha ha!  You have a girly avatar!!  Does the "S" stand for "Spice Girls"?  Ha ha ha!

[Frigidman]

I'll have to look into it too. Least my import isnt as painful, as I had kept everything in a handful of secure notes in keychain (serious old school). I kept them in keychain instead of bbedit files, because, well, keychain was using osx's built in security to encrypt it all.

However since apple have their heads up their ass for a bug that has existed since 10.6 came out (and refuse to fix it it seems)... I am forced to move away from keychain because I'm getting bloody sick of opening up timemachine every time a secure note goes blank!

The S with the star makes me think of Spice Girls too.

[Eric5h5]

The "S" stands for "Stupid, tBC is!"  Also, the fact that you have all the Spice Girls albums and listen to them on loop 24/7 is very girly indeed, I think.

--Eric

[the Battle Cat]

Ha ha ha!  Frigidman thinks you are otherly gonaded too!  Ha ha ha!  Which one are you?  Ginger Spice?  Cause you being a ginger would explain a lot.

[Eric5h5]

I have no idea; you're the big Spice Girls fan.  I don't know anything about them.  Maybe you should check out the website for my company, Stupid, tBC is, so you'd know where the logo comes from.  I've been thinking of starting a merchandise line with the company name--you know, t-shirts, mugs, etc.  But how about dolls?  I hear you play with dolls.  Would those sell?

--Eric