Re: Installing EncFS on SUSE 10.0

On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 09:50:57 +0100, houghi wrote:

imotgm wrote:
Try this also, if you're real paranoid. You can have a hidden encrypted
directory, within the original encrypted file/directory or partition.


http://www.truecrypt.org/

Ah yes. I remember that being mentioned once on /.

Free open-source disk encryption software for Windows XP/2000/2003 and
Linux.

Confusing that it isn't just GPL, but has its own licence
http://www.truecrypt.org/license.php
[...] provided that You do not modify any part of This Product [...]
So it seems it is free as in beer, but less so as in speech.
As far as I can see, it would be something if added to openSUSE atht
would need to be placed on CD6

Read it carefully. It's basically the same as SUSE branding. If you use
the name Truecrypt, you can use it, and give it away to friends, but, you
can't modify the software. If you modify the software, you must rename the
product, so as not to damage their reputation, if you screw up. You're
allowed to do anything GPL-ish as long as it's treated as a fork, with it's
own name.

I've made a few that are 4.4GB, so they can be burned to DVD, with the
hidden internal partition set to 4.0 GB. Once on DVD, they're ro, but can
be copied back to disk and are fully functional.

I asume you can do that with EncFS as well.

I am looking at it right now and it overwhelmes me a bit. It installs
very easy, but the use is not realy friendly. First I need to know the
size upfront.

It can be any size you like. I like 4.4GB because that size burns well to
a DVD-RW. You can do the entire partition if you want. If you burn to DVD,
you can take it to any computer with truecrypt installed, and mount it
there, open it, and read your files. The password is encrypted in the file
itself.

Next it asks me all these questions that I do not know the
answer to. e.g. default is FAT. I do not want to use FAT, so I select
none.

Being as that's the only other choice, me too. ;)

What should I do later to make it readable?

I used mkfs -t ext3. All my partitions are ext3, why not the encrypted
file? Worked fine, and all normal attributes work in the mounted volume.

Then it tells me:
To enable mouse movements to be used as a source of random data, please
do one of the following:
- Run TrueCrypt under administrator (root) account. - Install TrueCrypt
as set-euid root. - Add read permission to mouse device for all users
(chmod o+r
/dev/input/mice).

Well, the first is not something I want to do. The reason I want to use
something like that is because I am paranoya and that means running
things as root as liitle as possible. The second I have no idea how to
achieve or what it is The third is also not something I want to do. I am
not going to mess with settings I do not know the consequences of. Why
would it want to have my mouse permissions anyway? I won't be using my
mouse on it.

To create the random data for the encryption, some programs ask you to
just type random keys until the program says "stop". Truecrypt has you
move the mouse cursor all over the screen in random patterns, like a
flying moth, until it says "stop". Choose the third option to do this as a
user, rather than root.

So for me it already ends there. Not userfriendly enough. For me it
looks as if it is a Windows program that also works under Linux a bit.
(I mean, come on, FAT on my Linux box? You must be laughing.)

Yah, I was laughing, the first time I did this. That's pretty lame for the
Linux version. On the other hand, if you wanted to take some important
files from home to work, or on the road, you could include the Windows
truecrypt installation app on a DVD-RW, along with a 4GB encrypted volume,
with a FAT file system, install truecrypt on a Windows computer at work,
then mount and read your files on Windows, which you couldn't do with an
ext3 encrypted volume. You could copy the encrypted volume to the Windows
machine, open it and edit all the files, then re-burn the volume to the
DVD-RW, to take home, with all the changes, like carrying a very small
brief-case. Should it get lost or stolen, nobody can read anything. The
most they could get out of it is the DVD-RW, to re-write. The latest
version would always have a copy, either at work, or at home. All copies,
no matter where they are, are still for your eyes only.

Best crypt is a Windows proprietary program that works just like this, but
you pay for it. They came out with a Linux version, that would use the
same volumes, but you had to pay for that again. Truecrypt is a work alike,
with extras, is open source, and free, for both platforms. GOOD truecrypt.
BAD Best crypt.

So the advantages are:
1) Easy to install

Disadvatages
1) Too much options
2) Questions I can't answer
3) Not able to re-size
4) Strange demands about running as root 5) FAT as default

I am sure it is a great program. It is just not for me. Too complicated.
Looks as if it was overengineered.

Actually, it's easy. I did have a few WTF moments with the first one, but
said, "What the hell", and just took it one step at a time, and created a
test file with the hidden inner file, and it worked first time out. No
problems. Trust me on this one, it looks more confusing than it really is.
The only thing I've changed, is to add, "alias tc='truecrypt'" to my
~/.alias file. I'm lazy. ;)

If you've already installed it, just enter truecrypt <Enter> at the
prompt, to get a good help listing of commands, or truecrypt --help
<Enter> for a truly detailed, long help file.

Disadvatages of EncFS:
1) Difficult to get running (on a 10.0. It should be very easy if you
have the RPM for it on 10.1 or 10.2)

Advatages
1) Easy to use (encfs encrypted_dir dir_to_use)
2) Can be any size as you go along

Give it a shot, man! I can't write "make SUSE dvd" or what ever you call
it. I don't do web pages, or Apache. You do. If I can do truecrypt, you
can certainly do truecrypt.

--
imotgm
"Lost? Lost? I've never been lost... Been a tad confused for a
month or two, but never lost."
.

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