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PPC
How to install and configure Veracrypt in antiX (tested on antiX 21, 64bits)
Why use encryption? For security – if you share a computer and have sensitive data, for example. Or if you have sensitive data in a usb pen drive, it would be safer if it’s encrypted.
antiX itself can encrypt it’s own partition -but I do not like that because it can use system resources to encrypt decrypt data, so I think it’s best to only reserve it to sensitive data, not every single thing I do on my device.
There are many solutions- you can create a compressed file, with a password, and compress that file when needed and compress it again with any change that you performed. Or you can use dedicated encryption software, like VeraCrypt.– Download VeraCrypt from:
https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Downloads.html
(I recomend the Debian 11, GUI .deb file)– Install the .deb file. This can done via the terminal:
antiX menu > Terminal enter this command, making sure there is a space after the last word:sudo apt installUsing the file manager, navigate to the folder where you downloaded the .deb file to and drag the .deb file to the terminal and it’s name should appear after the previous command. Press enter and enter your password, if asked to. Wait untill the install process finishes
(it will install at least 2 dependencies: libwxbase3.0-0v5 libwxgtk3.0-gtk3-0v5). After instalation a little over 42mb will be used.– Running Veracrypt:
the instalation creates a .desktop file. This means that Veracrypt will be in your antiX menu ( antiX menu > Applications > Acessories > Veracrypt). In IceWM you can also use Toolbar Icon Manager to add it to your Toolbar.
In any desktop top that has desktop icons (one starting with “rox” or “zzz” on it’s name, you can also place Vercrypt’s icon on the desktop).Launch Veracrypt from the menu.
– If Using Veracrypt (i.e you do not have any previouly created encrypted volumes), first create a volume:
1- Creating encrypted volumes:
*first of all, you have to create a Volume, so click the “Create Volume” icon on VeraCrypt’s main window
*You can then select to encrypt a volume or a partition (I never encrypted a partition, so this example is only for a “volume”)- click “Next”
*Then you can select if you want to create a stardard or a hidden volume- click “Next”
* Select the volume location: click “Select file” and choose where to create the volume (ex: your home folder) and it’s name- click “Next”
* Choose your algortim (as always yoiu can go with the default settings) and click “Next”
* Choose the volume’s size (it can be in kb, mb, tb…) – and click “Next”
* Set a password and confirm it (it advises to use passwords that are at lease 20 characters long) and click next
* Choose the file system to be used inside the Volume and click “Next”
* Move the mouse in the window, to add some randomness to the volume and click “Format”. When the format process finishes, will be warned by a pop up window- click “Accept”
* Your now done. You can “Exit” or click “Next” to create another volume.2 – Accessing encrypted volumes:
* On VeraCrypt ‘s main window, cick “Select file” and select the file for a previously created volume.
* Click “Mount”, enter your encryption password and click “Accept”
* Enter your root password, when asked to.
* Wait until the volume finishes being mounted. Once mounted it will come up on Veracrypt’s main window, in a slop (the first volume will appear in the first slot, etc)
* To acces your encrypted volume, just like it was a pen drive, double click it’s slot, an it will be displayed, as a folder, in your default file manager, You can use it as you would any ordinary folder/ pen driveOnce you are finished using your encrypted volume, click “Dismount” or “Dismount all” on Veracrypt’s main window or from the system tray. If you do not want to use V.C. more, you may click it’s icon in the system tray and click “Exit”
Done.
Notes:
– on a single core netbook, with a very slow hard drive, it takes about 6 seconds to mount a 250Mb encrypted volume. Cpu usage wile Veracrypt is running is usually 3-12%. My system idles at 2-3% CPU usage.
– on my pt-pt system, Veracypt is in english, except for some buttons (like “Accept”), so it may not be localized in your language. But that is not problematic – once a volume is created, you only need to click the “Mount” button to select your compressed volume, click the volume’s slot and, then, after finishing what you want to do, click the “Dismount” button.
– VeraCrypt has versions for Linux, Windows and MacOS – so you can create a volume in a usb pendrive and use it on just about any computer (that has VeraCrypt running, for windows there is even a portableapp, that you can place in the unencripted part of your pendrive to be able to mount it form any windows computer. I assume the same can be done with Mac’s .dmg file)Edit: There is also a (portable) appimage for VeraCrypt, available at https://github.com/myristicinC/veracrypt-appimage/releases but, when testing, it errors out, failing to run with elevated privileges, for some reason.
Edit2: VeraCrypt can even be used on old 32bits devices, without SSE2 support on their CPUs- there’s an instalation file available for those devices here: https://launchpad.net/veracrypt/trunk/1.25.9/+download/veracrypt-1.25.9-x86-legacy-setup.tar.bz2
P.
- This topic was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by PPC.
- This topic was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by PPC.
- This topic was modified 5 months, 1 week ago by PPC.
blur13
@blur13 – thanks! I love xkcd and it’s been a while since I enjoyed one!
In reality, like I said, encryption can be used, on usb pen drives or laptops, so no one can read your private files, if you lose the device. On a desktop/ fixed use laptop, encryption can ensure, for example, that you spouse, kids, etc, do not mess with sensitive files (I used to take work home, when I had a wife).
Of course, in real life, encryption can not only be broken (even if it takes days to years) but in no way garatees protection of data in cause of torture. The same applies to safes – people do still buy them, even if they know there are safe crakers and that any robber can force them to open the safe…
P.
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