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TrueCrypt port

Started by miturbide, 2007.05.17, 05:10:01

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kim

About this specific topic I would really like to see a port of TrueCrypt - what has been discussed to close down for example the SmartCard bounty and move the fundings to TrueCrypt bounty and as well I we (OS2WF board) has talked about adding additional funding to top this bounty.

So overall, I would suggest that we also go through what bounties that we should join together, what to close and where to move the fundings and finally are there specific bounties that we should try to add move funds to from OS2WF.

kim

Regarding this bounty; has anyone a remote clue how hard this would be to make a full or partial port of TrueCrypt? Should we try to narrow down what the basic features that we would like to see ported if a full port is not possible? Or, as mentioned earlier, should we look into something else? As said; I'm willing to add more money to this one to get something to happend and it would be great if we got a remote indication from some developer out there...

Andi

Quote from: kimhav on 2009.01.09, 21:53:17
Regarding this bounty; has anyone a remote clue how hard this would be to make a full or partial port of TrueCrypt? ...

I've not looked very deep into the code cause I don't think I need it, but my 2 cents -
the hardest thing and what will be never done for OS/2 -eCS I fear, is the filesystem driver. The fancy GUI will consume much time too, I think. Beside that, it should be possible to make some CLI tools which can create and work with a crypted file. A netdrive plugin should be doable too. As far as I understand TrueCrypt, this should be enough for people how feel the need for such software.

And yes, I think narrow down to that basics would  be wise.

kim

Skipping GUI and start with CLI interface is more than enough for me as well. Well, let's then figure out what would be the basic features then. The main feature of Truecrypt as taken from Truecrypt home page:

  • Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk. Basic
  • Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
  • Encrypts a partition or drive where OS is installed (pre-boot authentication).
  • Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent. Basic
  • Provides two levels of plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password; 1) Hidden volume (steganography) and hidden operating system.  2) No TrueCrypt volume can be identified (volumes cannot be distinguished from random data).
  • Encryption algorithms: AES-256, Serpent, and Twofish. Mode of operation: XTS.

I would say that being able to create a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mount would be basic feature for me and initial step. Encrypt entire partition would be great; but no clue how complex this would be to accomplish and same goes for encryption of boot partition.

About encryption algorithms I would assume that needed code can be ported from linux if the code doesn't already exists for OS2 and the FS implementation I don't know if code can be used from JFS and as well earlier other FS implementation for OS2.

Andi

Quote from: kimhav on 2009.01.11, 22:51:44
....
I would say that being able to create a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mount would be basic feature for me and initial step. Encrypt entire partition would be great; but no clue how complex this would be to accomplish and same goes for encryption of boot partition.
Most of partition managment will be OS/2 specific and probably can not be ported from TrueCrypt. Remember, DFSee is the only partitioning tool which understands and can work with OS/2 partition/volume information. So I very raw estimate, encrypting partitions will double the effort compared to an ecrypted file bound via netdrive. Not to speak about encrypted boot partition. But, who needs an encrypted boot partition with OS/2? There's no need to have user data on the boot partition.


magog

#20
For the GUI I would say it would be a good idea to create it using WDSibyl (Pascal/Delphi).
This can be done fast and is not very complicated. Even people without programming experience could click the GUI together (except for the functionality).

The GUI can be used to call the commandline applications. This way the development can be split up.

An encrypted bootdrive is indeed too much work but an encrypted partition should be doable. But I think for the start support for encrypted container files (*.tc) should be enough.

Edit: Added (*.tc) to container files --> Truecrypt container == a file containing an encrypted partition
Regards,
Juergen
*** Java Movie Database - http://www.jmdb.de/

Saijin_Naib

Is encrypted file containers the same as encrypting a single file? I know I can right click -> encrypt on XP a single file without having to do the whole volume.

kim

No, encrypted file container is a virtual volume/partion hosted within a file container. After creating a file container it's mounted to the FS and accessed as a partition.

Saijin_Naib

Ah, okay. I understand the difference now.

Andy P.

Andy wrote:
QuoteBut, who needs an encrypted boot partition with OS/2?
IMHO Truecrypt used without boot partition encrypted is dangerous. I.e. in the swapper.dat you will find many value information of the files you want to hide.
In the end, you have to protect your boot partition also.

magog  wrote:
QuoteeNova now has an AES-based X-Wall encryption chip for SATA (X-Wall MX) but so far there doesn't seem to be a simple PCB you can directly attach to your SATA drive like it was possible with the old Abit Secure IDE solution with the DES encryption.
Looking for the same solution, I could put my hands on an piece of hardware with the X-Wall MX256. Im using this chip now fpr almost one year. It is fully transparent for all operations. Installing ecs, or using DFsee is without any problems. It works as if nonexistent form the system within. It crypts sector by sector in AES256 in ECB-mode. Chips with CBC-Mode by default are only availible on request - means if you order more then 10.000 chips.
If you want such a PCB with two FOBs (no, the old DES-FOBs doesnt work) PM me.

Andy P.

magog

Quote from: Andy P. on 2010.03.13, 15:14:05
Andy wrote:
QuoteBut, who needs an encrypted boot partition with OS/2?
IMHO Truecrypt used without boot partition encrypted is dangerous. I.e. in the swapper.dat you will find many value information of the files you want to hide.
In the end, you have to protect your boot partition also.

It may contain names of files in more or less clear form but that's not a problem as long as you can't access the file(s) in question.
The other thing is, that you have to implement additional code (basically HPFS/bootable JFS code to the TrueCrypt code) to be able to boot from an encrypted HPFS/JFS partition. This makes it a lot more complicated. Basically this feature is only a long term goal at best.

If work on a TrueCrypt port is done the basic and easiest features to implement would be sufficient for the moment (a TrueCrypt container file and the mount container file as partition function).

Quote from: Andy P. on 2010.03.13, 15:14:05magog  wrote:
QuoteeNova now has an AES-based X-Wall encryption chip for SATA (X-Wall MX) but so far there doesn't seem to be a simple PCB you can directly attach to your SATA drive like it was possible with the old Abit Secure IDE solution with the DES encryption.
Looking for the same solution, I could put my hands on an piece of hardware with the X-Wall MX256. Im using this chip now fpr almost one year. It is fully transparent for all operations. [..]
If you want such a PCB with two FOBs (no, the old DES-FOBs doesnt work) PM me.

Interesting, you get a PM shortly.
Regards,
Juergen
*** Java Movie Database - http://www.jmdb.de/