Truecrypt

Forum: Apps
Topic: Truecrypt
started by: TTK=Teobromina_Tool_Kit

Posted by TTK=Teobromina_Tool_Kit on July 20 2008,19:00

I am user of Truecrypt both in Windows and in Linux (I have Ubuntu 804 LTS installed in my HD, while I am using DSL for mobile computing and maintenance).

Truecrypt is a valuable piece of software for me, because with it I can bring with me, in a 'container' safely encrypted, all my files into a pendrive, that I can use immediately when I need it, mounting the 'container' as a new virtual disk. Recently they issued a GUI for Linux (for Windows, the GUI was issued time ago).

Since I am not sure if I can build by myself a Truecrypt MyDSL extension (first attempts failed), I post my question: Has anyone built a Truecrypt DSL extension? In the Truecrypt homepage we may find RPM, DEB and source packages.

< http://www.truecrypt.org/ >

Regards.

*JT.

Posted by WDef on July 25 2008,23:13

As I posted once before, Truecrypt requires the device-mapper stuff which means a 2.6 kernel.

So a Truecrypt extension might be a possibility with dsl-core.

In the meantime if you need high quality partition encryption, you could try the loop-aes extension in the repo for the standard (non-dsl-core) 2.4.31 kernel dsl. I have a newer version also which needs to get posted. You would need to encrypt your entire pendrive.

Loop-aes is preferred by some over Truecrypt. Loop-aes spotted and closed some important vulnerabilities well ahead of the device mapper based encryption schemes, in fact its developer (Jari Russu) was the first to point one of these out to the dm-crypt developers, who responded with hand-waving and defensive arguments, then went on to close the vulnerabilty anyway when it was quite apparent Jari was right!

Loop-aes is extremely stable and reliable for very large amounts of data, enterprise servers, etc. Though its code had been criticized for being obscure and hard to read. (It seems the eminent Peter Gutmann couldn't understand it at all, but then it also appears he didn't bother to read the README either ;=) )

Unfortunately for loop-aes you need to be comfortable using the command line since there's no gui for the current mutlikey versions (though my tripl script is an easy front end if I say so myself), and, unfortunately, current loop-aes is not cross platform.

Posted by TTK=Teobromina_Tool_Kit on July 26 2008,08:05

Thank you very much, WDef, for your clear response. I am following DSL distribution from almost the beggining. It is an amazing development. And presently, it has a new great opportunity with the netbook devices, as I can see by myself...

Sorry that I am not always up to date on the situation of some topics, such as the present one with Truecrypt.

Your answer brings not good news for me, because I need a cross plattform device. I do not regret command-line: In fact Truecrypt was command line in Linux since two months ago. OK, dm are more sensible and vulnerable than whole disc encripted devices, but I have not to carry critical or sensitive secrets, so I need a simple device for not to bring my files openly in the pendrive. In my case the encription of whole disc is not practical because my pendrive is a multibooting device: I can boot DSL, Ubuntu, UBCD4Win, DOSes... Nowadays I use a live remastersys of an Ubuntu installation with a Truecrypt preinstalled at home, so I can open also my Truecrypt containers when I am working in other computers, running M$Windows. This can explain my interest in Truecrypt.

Thank you anyway.

Regards.

*JT.