From: Trans <transfire@...>
Date: 2007-03-13T23:55:36+09:00
Subject: Portable password input

This has been asked about before, and I've been wondering about it
myself. So I worked on it and came up with this. I know it's rather a
poor man's way of handling it but at least it's light and portable
(well, at least I think it is).

  def password( msg=nil )
    msg ||= "Enter Password"
    inp = ''

    i = Thread.new{ inp = $stdin.gets }
    c = Thread.new do
      loop do
        sleep 0.01
        $stdout << "\r#{msg}:        "
        $stdout << "\r#{msg}: "
        $stdout.flush
      end
    end

    i.join

    return inp
  end