fscrypt is a Go-based command-line tool for managing Linux filesystem encryption. It is designed to make it easy for users to encrypt and decrypt directories on a Linux system. It uses the kernel’s in-built filesystem encryption feature called “eCryptfs” to perform the encryption and decryption operations. With fscrypt, users can encrypt and decrypt directories and files by providing a passphrase, which is used to generate a key to encrypt and decrypt the data. Once a directory is encrypted, all files and subdirectories within it are also encrypted, and are only accessible with the correct passphrase.
The tool also allows users to configure and manage the encryption options, such as the encryption algorithm, key size, and encryption policy. Additionally, it also allows users to add and remove users who have access to the encrypted directories, and can also be used to change the passphrase used to encrypt the directories. fscrypt is a powerful tool that can be used to enhance the security of sensitive data on a Linux system. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as personal use, enterprise environments and can be integrated into other tools and scripts to manage encryption on a larger scale.
If you encounter the below error while running the command fscrypt:
fscrypt: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
Distribution | Command |
---|---|
Debian | apt-get install fscrypt |
Ubuntu | apt-get install fscrypt |
Kali Linux | apt-get install fscrypt |
fscrypt Command Examples
1. Prepare the root filesystem for use with fscrypt:
# fscrypt setup
2. Enable filesystem encryption for a directory:
# fscrypt encrypt path/to/directory
3. Unlock an encrypted directory:
# fscrypt unlock path/to/encrypted_directory
4. Lock an encrypted directory:
# fscrypt lock path/to/encrypted_directory