bytesagain UUIDGen
A real UUID generator and validator. Generate v4 UUIDs, batch-create multiple IDs, validate UUID format, extract UUIDs from text, and generate short 8-character IDs. Uses /proc/sys/kernel/random/uuid on Linux or falls back to python3 uuid module.
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
uuidgen v4 |
Generate a single random UUID v4 (with compact, uppercase, and URN formats) |
uuidgen batch <count> |
Generate multiple UUIDs (default: 5, max: 1000) |
uuidgen validate <uuid> |
Check if a string is a valid UUID (shows version, variant, and format details) |
uuidgen extract <text> |
Find and extract all UUIDs from a text string |
uuidgen short |
Generate a short 8-character UUID (plus 3 alternatives) |
uuidgen version |
Show version |
uuidgen help |
Show available commands and usage |
Requirements
- Bash 4+ (
set -euo pipefail) - One of:
/proc/sys/kernel/random/uuid(Linux),python3, or/dev/urandom - No external dependencies or API keys
When to Use
- Generate database keys —
uuidgen v4for a single ID,uuidgen batch 100for bulk - Validate user-supplied UUIDs —
uuidgen validate <uuid>checks format, detects version and variant - Extract IDs from logs/text —
uuidgen extract "Error for session 550e8400-e29b-..."pulls out all UUIDs - Short identifiers —
uuidgen shortfor 8-char IDs suitable for URLs or display - Batch ID generation —
uuidgen batch 50creates 50 UUIDs numbered for easy reference
Examples
# Generate a single UUID v4
uuidgen v4
# Generate 10 UUIDs
uuidgen batch 10
# Validate a UUID
uuidgen validate '550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000'
# Extract UUIDs from text
uuidgen extract 'User 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000 created session abc12345-dead-beef-cafe-123456789012'
# Generate a short 8-char UUID
uuidgen short
Example Output
$ uuidgen v4
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ UUID v4 Generated │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ UUID: 1a28540e-25e6-4efe-86a8-93f41e16dad8 │
│ Compact: 1a28540e25e64efe86a893f41e16dad8 │
│ Upper: 1A28540E-25E6-4EFE-86A8-93F41E16DAD8 │
│ URN: urn:uuid:1a28540e-25e6-4efe-86a8-... │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
$ uuidgen validate '550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000'
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ UUID Validation │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Input: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000 │
│ Valid: ✅ YES │
│ Version: v4 (random) │
│ Variant: RFC 4122 / DCE │
│ Compact: 550e8400e29b41d4a716446655440000 │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
$ uuidgen batch 3
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Generating 3 UUIDs
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. b54a201e-47d7-463e-9539-86e08201b4f0
2. 7fa328ef-fba4-4a7a-94c2-2dc431079aae
3. 0d382fb3-0c52-424b-a7cd-416f6c29ad49
Generated 3 UUID(s).
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