rig

Display a random name (male or female) and address

$ rig

$ rig -[m|f]

$ rig -d [path/to/directory]

$ rig -c [number]

$ rig -f -c [number]

rig [options]
rig [-a] [-c count] [-d] [-e] [-f] [-i] [-p] [-s] [-z] [-u] [-h] [-v]

-a
    Output all available identity data (name, address, phone, email, SSN, DL, CC, etc.).

-c count
    Specify the number of identities to generate. The default is 1.

-d
    Include a random driver's license number in the output.

-e
    Include a random email address in the output.

-f
    Include a random phone number in the output.

-i
    Include a random Social Security Number (SSN) in the output.

-p
    Include a random credit card number in the output.

-s
    Include a full street address in the output.

-z
    Include a random zip code in the output.

-u
    Ensure that generated SSNs are unique across multiple identities generated in the same run.

-h
    Display a help message and exit.

-v
    Output the version information and exit.

The rig command is a simple, command-line utility designed to generate fake, but statistically plausible, personal identity data. It's often used by developers and testers for populating databases, testing forms, or creating dummy data for applications without compromising real user information.

It can generate a variety of fields, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security Numbers (SSNs), driver's license numbers, and credit card numbers. While the generated data is random, its format typically adheres to real-world patterns, making it useful for scenarios requiring realistic-looking placeholder information. rig is a straightforward tool, focusing on quick and easy generation of identity profiles directly from the terminal.

* The data generated by rig is entirely fictional and should never be confused with real personal information.
* It is primarily designed for generating US-centric data, and does not support locale-specific variations for international identities.
* While designed to be plausible, the generated numbers (like SSNs or credit cards) are not cryptographically secure or guaranteed to pass all real-world validation algorithms, though they often conform to basic checksum rules.
* Do not use the generated data in production environments where real user data is handled, even for testing purposes.

The data produced by rig is fake. It is crucial to understand that it serves purely as placeholder information for development and testing. It must not be used for any malicious activities, identity theft, or in any scenario where real personal information is required or could be compromised. Treat it strictly as dummy data.

For more sophisticated, locale-specific, or diverse data generation needs, programmatic libraries are generally preferred. Examples include Python's Faker or Mimesis libraries, which offer extensive customization, support for numerous locales, and a wider array of data types beyond basic identity information.

The rig command is a simple, utilitarian tool whose development history isn't extensively documented as a large-scale project. It emerged from the practical need within software development and testing communities for quick, on-demand generation of plausible fake personal data.

It's often distributed as a standalone package within various Linux distributions, serving as a straightforward solution for populating databases, testing input forms, or creating anonymized datasets without requiring complex configuration or dependencies. Its continued usage is primarily due to its simplicity and effectiveness for basic dummy data generation tasks.

pwgen(1), uuidgen(1)