Gary Blackburn
Trained Killer

Here is a subroutine for just that purpose. In this case, it asks for a password twice and returns undef if they didn't match.

sub get_passwd_on_console 
{
    use POSIX;
    print "Password: ";

    # Set the terminal to "no echo" mode for reading the passphrase
    my ($term, $oterm, $echo, $noecho, $fd_stdin);
    $fd_stdin = fileno(STDIN);
    $term = POSIX::Termios->new;
    $term->getattr($fd_stdin);
    $oterm = $term->getlflag();
    $echo = ECHO | ECHOK | ICANON;
    $noecho = $oterm & ~$echo;
    $term->setlflag($noecho);
    $term->setattr($fd_stdin, TCSANOW);

    my $passwd = <>;
    chomp $passwd;
    print "\n";
    print "Password (retype): ";
    my $passwd2 = <>;
    chomp $passwd2;
    print "\n";

    # Set the terminal back
    $term->setlflag($echo);
    $term->setattr($fd_stdin, TCSANOW);

    return ($passwd eq $passwd2) ? $passwd : undef;
}
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Thanks for all ur suggestions...unfortunately my problem remains unsolved!!

Currently I need to use Perl 5.6 on a Windows 2000 machine. For the code given by hardburn, it says Posix::termios not supported!

i am unable to use CPAN module termkey and not able to install it using CPAN or PPM...Maybe because I'm not using ActiveState perl

So..is there any other suggestions which can be used to solve this problem of accepting user password without printing on console ?? If perl 5.6 doesnt provide any ways by default, anyother subroutine code that'll do the job of accepting pswd without console display ?

Still awaiting enlightening suggestions from the monks...

prompt> perl -MCPAN -eshell

cpan>install Term::ReadKey
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use Term::ReadKey;
ReadMode('noecho');
$password = ReadLine(0);
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But you did not pay attention to the line above it...
You can also do this for most systems using the Term::ReadKey module from CPAN, which is easier to use and in theory more portable.

Have you tried installing the CPAN module Term::ReadKey? It is not hard.