Truecrypt RHlinux quickstart

From BNL Physics Computing

Contents 1 Installing and Using TrueCrypt Under Red Hat Linux 1.1 Installing 1.2 Using the GUI 1.3 Using the Commadn Line Interface

Installing and Using TrueCrypt Under Red Hat Linux

Installing

1. FUSE module: If you are running Red Hat 5 or an equivalent, they you have the FUSE module, otherwise follow these instructions:
   1. Download the latest FUSE source code from Sourceforge
   2. Untar the file
   3. Run "./configure"
   4. Run "make"
   5. Run "make install"
   6. When you upgrade your kernel, you will have to remake the module
2. wxWidgets:
   1. Download the latest version of the GTK version of the widgets from www.wxwidgets.org
   2. Untar the file
   3. Run "./configure --with-gtk"
   4. Run "make"
   5. su to root
   6. Run "make install"
   7. Run "ldconfig"
3. Copy the Truecrypt tar file to an appropriate location and untar the file
4. If you want the GUI, configure the wxWidgets library for Truecrypt by running "make WX_ROOT=/usr/src/wxWidgets wxbuild" where WX_ROOT points to the source code of the wxWidgets library you untarred above.
5. Run "make".
6. If you do not want the GUI, do the following makes instead of the above
   1. Run "make NOGUI=1 WX_ROOT=/usr/src/wxWidgets wxbuild"
   2. Run "make NOGUI=1"
7. After a successful build, the truecrypt executable will be in the "Main" directory. Copy it to /usr/bin/truecrypt or /usr/local/bin/truecrypt.
8. If you want to use TrueCrypt as a normal user (recommended), add your account to the /etc/sudoers file on your machine using the visudo program

Using the GUI

1. Start the program with "truecrypt"
2. Create a new volume by clicking on the "Create Volume" button and following the instructions
3. To mount a volume:
   1. Select a slot
   2. Click on the "Select File..." button and navigate to the volume file you want to mount
   3. Click on the "Mount" botton. You will be prompted for the volume's password and your password (to run sudo)
   4. The volume is mounted on /media/truecryptN, where N is the chosen slot number
4. To dismount a volume
   1. Select the volume to dismount
   2. Click on the "Dismount" button

Using the Commadn Line Interface

1. In your normal account, create a TrueCrypt volume using truecrypt -c and answering the questions. Other than the name of the file to use as the TrueCrypt volume, the file size and the password, it is safe to take the defaults.
2. To mount the volume use: truecrypt <full path to volume file> <full path to mount point> You will be prompted for your account password (from sudo) and the password for the TrueCrypt volume.
3. You are done. The df command will show the mounted volume and lsmod will show the modules.

Once mounted, anything you write into the mounted Truecrypt file system will be transparently encrypted and anything you read from the mounted file system will be transparently decrypted. If unmounted, the TrueCrypt volume looks like an ordinary data file and can be backed up securely. If a backup is done on the mounted volume, then the files will be backed up unencrypted.