rbw

Unofficial Bitwarden CLI password manager

TLDR

Login to vault

$ rbw login

Unlock vault

$ rbw unlock

Get password

$ rbw get [entry-name]

Get full entry (username, password, notes)

$ rbw get --full [entry-name]

Get a specific field

$ rbw get --field username [entry-name]

Get TOTP code

$ rbw code [entry-name]

List entries

$ rbw list

Search entries

$ rbw search [pattern]

Sync vault

$ rbw sync

Add entry

$ rbw add [entry-name]

Generate password and store it

$ rbw generate [entry-name] [username]

rbw is an unofficial command-line Bitwarden client designed for Unix-style workflows, outputting passwords directly to stdout for easy integration with scripts, dmenu, rofi, and other tools. It communicates with Bitwarden servers through a background agent daemon (rbw-agent) that caches the decrypted vault locally for fast retrieval.The get command retrieves passwords by entry name, while the --field flag accesses specific fields like usernames, TOTP codes, or custom notes. The generate command creates random passwords and stores them directly in the vault. Vault synchronization with rbw sync keeps the local cache current with the server.

PARAMETERS

config

Get or set configuration options.

register

Register this device with the Bitwarden server.

login

Log in to the Bitwarden server.

unlock

Unlock the local vault database.

lock

Lock the vault database.

sync

Update the local copy of the Bitwarden database.

get NAME

Display the password for a given entry.

search TERM

Search for entries in the vault.

code NAME

Display the TOTP authenticator code for a given entry.

list

List all entries.

add NAME

Add a new entry.

edit NAME

Modify an existing entry.

remove NAME

Delete an entry.

generate NAME USER

Generate a new password and store it.

history NAME

View password history for an entry.

stop-agent

Terminate the background agent.

--full

Output username, password, and notes.

--field FIELD

Output a specific field.

--folder FOLDER

Restrict to a specific folder.

CONFIGURATION

~/.config/rbw/config.json

Client configuration specifying the Bitwarden server URL, email address, lock timeout, and pinentry program for master password entry.

rbw-agent

Background daemon that maintains the decrypted vault in memory. Started automatically on first rbw command and locks after the configured timeout.

INSTALL

sudo dnf install rbw

sudo pacman -S rbw

sudo apk add rbw

brew install rbw

nix profile install nixpkgs#rbw

CAVEATS

Unofficial client. Some Bitwarden features not supported. Requires rbw-agent daemon.

HISTORY

rbw was created by Jesse Luehrs as a command-line Bitwarden client optimized for Unix workflows. It uses a background agent (similar to ssh-agent or gpg-agent) to hold decryption keys in memory, emphasizing scriptability and speed over feature completeness.

rbw