Encyrpting files in Linux

[apoorv_khurasia]

Hi

I want to know if one can encrypt a file (not a filesystem) on Linux. Can someone tell me how to do so. If the answer is distro specific then please refer to Gentoo Linux. A web link will be just as good. Thanks for any help in advance.

[devils casper]

hi apoorv !!

check this link ....
http://kfilecoder.sourceforge.net/

<=== { casper } ===>

[apoorv_khurasia]

Thanks that was great but I don't have KDE installed on my box and I don't plan to install it either. Can you suggest me something that would work without any XManager or X in general? I assume it is possible. Thanks again for your time and patience.

[devils casper]

hi !!

Works on OS X, Linux, anywhere with OpenSSL installed:

To encrypt a file:
$ openssl des3 -salt -in infile.txt -out encryptedfile.txt

To decrypt the file:
$ openssl des3 -d -salt -in encryptedfile.txt -out normalfile.txt

Do not specify the same file as input and output on encryption.. I have noticed weird effects on OS X (it eats the file). Remove the -in * stuff if you want to pipe data into it (e.g. a tarred folder). Omit the -out * stuff if you want it to pipe data out on STDOUT.

<=== { casper } ===>

[apoorv_khurasia]

Thanks man. That really helped a lot.

[KenJackson]

I use ccrypt. It's simple and claims to be very secure, using the Rijndael cipher. You encrypt a file with the 'ccencrypt' command and decrypt it with 'ccdecrypt'. If you use emacs, there is a mode that allows you to edit an encrypted file, provided you know the password.

It also includes the 'ccat' command, which I use frequently on some encrypted files like this:
$ ccat mysecrets.txt.cpt | grep 'some text'

[apoorv_khurasia]

That sounds intersting too, will try that out soon.

[TomX]

Another app is GnuPG which uses public-key cryptography (has no advantages over private-key cryptography if the data isn't being transmitted).

However, if you're never going to need to transmit this data you may want to use something simpler like ccrypt which I also recommend.

[drl]

Hi.

On most Linux systems, there is at least bcrypt, possibly others found by using man -k crypt. (On Solaris, I see crypt.)

I have no idea how all the items mentioned compare with one another -- good topic for a report perhaps ... cheers, drl

[apoorv_khurasia]

I have no idea how all the items mentioned compare with one another -- good topic for a report perhaps ...

On that note I will like to say that as far as security is considered it will depend more on the algorithm (assuming the salt is good) one is using (rc5 or des3???) rather than the software being used for the purpose. If user-friednliness is the issue that out of the apps suggested to me by all (see prev. posts on this thread) I would prefer openssl. A simple command to do it all is enough to lure me in.