Encrypted volume interaction with Windows...

John Richard Moser nigelenki at comcast.net
Wed Dec 19 14:33:45 UTC 2007



Thorsten Sick wrote:
> Hello List
> 
> Am Montag, den 17.12.2007, 11:49 -0500 schrieb John Richard Moser:
>> In Gutsy, the alternate installer can now create encrypted LVM layouts 
>> (but with no fancy manipulation tools...).  I am now curious about 
>> interoperability with Windows for encrypted external drives.
>>
>> External hard disks and flash drives using NTFS or FAT32 work in Linux 
>> or Windows now.  The FreeOTFE program allows Windows to access a LUKS 
>> partition (NOT LVM) as well.
> 
> For data-exchange media I would suggest something that runs on windows
> out-of-the box (and on ubuntu of course).
> Either automatically put a driver for windows in a non-encrypted part or
> use something like the truecrypt traveller mode.
> 

truecrypt installs drivers in traveler mode.  So does FreeOTFE in 
portable mode.  FreeOTFE can read Linux LUKS partitions (which is what 
dm-crypt uses).

Truecrypt does not run on windows out of teh box.  If you're not 
administrator level, you can't use it.  Same with FreeOTFE.

> A user having encrypted data on a usb memory stick wants to use them on
> about 99% of the computers he works with. If this is not possible, the
> user will not encrypt at all.
> 

So, they have the same ability on Windows with LUKS or truecrypt, and 
better on Linux with LUKS.

>>  Logically, it would help users with 
>> encryption needs to have a tool in GNOME to create LUKS-encrypted USB 
>> flash or hard drives, and request/change the key (file?  Or just 
>> password?) when gnome-volume-manager detects them.
> 
> Maybe automatically ask the user if he wants to encrypt the volume or
> parts of it as soon as he attaches a new and empty usb device (stick or
> external hd)
>

Every time he attaches it?  "Do you want to destroy all data on this?" 
That's like asking to format a disk every time it's put in!

> My two cent
> Thorsten Sick
>> I think this would be very interesting to users sharing private data 
>> between Windows and Linux.  Truecrypt is a pain (all command line 
>> stuff), and Linux supports LUKS anyway.  With LUKS on Linux and FreeOTFE 
>> accessing the LUKS partitions on Windows, users can easily share data 
>> via removable drives.
>>
>> -- 
>> Bring back the Firefox plushy!
>> http://digg.com/linux_unix/Is_the_Firefox_plush_gone_for_good
>> https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=322367
> 

-- 
Bring back the Firefox plushy!
http://digg.com/linux_unix/Is_the_Firefox_plush_gone_for_good
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=322367




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