Tales from the crypt commands
Basic File Encryption
© Lead Image © mppriv, 123RF.com
If you just need to encrypt a file or two, a descendant of crypt can do the job. Which one you choose depends on your objective.
These days, when users think of encryption, they usually turn to PGP, OpenSSL, or LUKS. Sometimes, though, you may not want encrypted transmissions or filesystems. When all you want is to encrypt a file or two, all you need is one of the crypt commands – bcrypt [1], ccrypt [2], or mcrypt [3]. All three are specialized for encrypting files and can even have a feature or two that are missing from the better known encryption applications.
All three take their name from crypt [4], an obsolete Unix command. crypt was broken long ago, but bcrypt, ccrypt, and mcrypt are all up-to-date encryption tools. In some distributions, mcrypt may use crypt as an alias.
All three, however, are simple tools that are easy to learn. With each, you enter the command to encrypt or decrypt with the desired options and then enter a passphrase to complete the operation.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.