EncFS for MacFuse on Mac OS X
Since I’m working on a more detailed series of blog-postings about security, encryption and privay, this is just a quick-and-dirty how to about how to install EncFS on your Macbook.
Download MacFuse
Download & Install MacFusion - a GUI for MacFuse
Download and Install encfs.plugin and copy EncFS.plugin to ~/Library/Application Support/MacFusion/PlugIns(creating the folders as needed)
Optional: if you want to run encfs from the commandline:
a) Open the Plugin-Package (directory: Ressources) and copy encfs & encfsctl to /usr/local/bin
b) from the Plugin-Package (directory: Ressources) copy the three *.dylib-files(librlog.1.3.4.dylib, libencfs.1.1.1.dylib, libintl.8.0.1.dylib) to /usr/local/lib
Create your encrypted directories.
a) with MacFusion from the Quick Mount / EncFS Menu. Enter the path where you want to save your encrypted data, ex: ~/Documents/.crypt-raw
The . before the filename hides the file in the Finder.b) If you’ve done the optional step 4 (Installing encfs for the Terminal) you can also enter
encfs /Users/YOUR-USERNAME/Documents/.crypt-raw /Users/YOUR-USERNAME/MOUNTPOINTCopy the data you want to secure to the Volume that has mounted on your Desktop or to Mountpoint you’ve used.
Unmount the Volume via Finder or MacFusion
To launch the encrypted each time when you’re booting
a) open MacFusion and enable ‘Start MacFusion on Login’
b) Open the Favorites Menu within MacFuse, choose ‘+’ ‘EncFS’ and enter the path to the crypt-raw directory in the field Storage path. If you want you can also enter a Name for the Volume when it’s mounted. Make sure to enable the ‘Auto’-Checkbox
Thanks to Project members from MacFuse and to Michael Gorbach for MacFusion -> Great work!
More Information
Keep me informed about what you think of encryption and which tools you’re using!