EncFS 1.7.2 unmenu plugin


boof

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There have been a couple of threads related to EncFS over the past year or so. If this interests you I'd urge you to read through them first :

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=4804.0

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=4651.0

 

Recently development and releases of EncFS have picked up alot so I thought it worthwhile to bundle a newer version up for unmenu.

 

The good :

 

- It works with no problems

- The bug I triggered in the previous posts hasn't returned. It may have been fixed (though google code says otherwise) directly or indirectly

 

The bad :

 

- This needs testing

- Using it on user shares is very slow presumably due to the multiple layers of fuse involved

- I couldn't find a ready built package of the latest one (though I didn't look very hard) so I hand rolled one above.

- No nice way to mount and unmount directories either automatically or via the web interface. Could this be done via a new section in unmenu?

 

Feedback etc welcomed.

 

I don't know how to get this into the core unmenu repository, I presume it needs Joe L's blessing and work to happen. Joe L if you would be happy to put this into the central resource but theres a problem with it or you would prefer some things changed before hand let me know.

 

 

encfs-unmenu-package.conf

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I don't know how to get this into the core unmenu repository, I presume it needs Joe L's blessing and work to happen. Joe L if you would be happy to put this into the central resource but theres a problem with it or you would prefer some things changed before hand let me know.

Let me try installing it via the package you attached.  If all is good I'll add it.  If not, I'll provide feedback.

 

Joe L.

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I took a look.

 

First, the installpkg seems broken.

 

I tried to check to see what it would overwrite, and I got this:

root@Tower:/boot/packages# installpkg -warn encfs*.conf

#### Scanning the contents of encfs-unmenu-package.conf...

The following files will be overwritten when installing this package.

Be sure they aren't important before you install this package:

/sbin/installpkg: line 286: -dc: command not found

 

I did not attempt to go further...

 

Am I correct in that this is a package you compiled and are hosting on http://files.init-1.net/ ???

 

Joe L.

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Yep - I'm not sure what the error you've given points to :(

 

The only way I've installed it on my own unraid server is via the config file I attached then via unmenu so I was pretty certain it was fine.

 

Perhaps there's something about my server that's been done already to avoid an issue?

 

Anything I can do to debug further? As I said it works fine here - but isn't that always the case!

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attached is the list of files in the home rolled encfs package.

 

The rlog and boost dependency packages are straight from the slackware repos. Not sure if the problem could be in them?

It was me.....  I typed

installpkg -warn encfs*.conf

instead of

installpkg -warn encfs*.tgz

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

The encfs package is now in place on google.code to download using unmenu_install -u or the "Check for Updates/Install Updates" buttons on the user-scripts page.

 

There is no tutorial on its use or initial configuration. It does include a link to its home page for more detail and usage instructions.

 

You will not be able to shutdown your server if encFS is still in use. You manually needed to first un-mount the encrypted file system by typing

fusermount -u /your_mountpoint

 

Joe L.

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I am having trouble installing encFS.  I download and install but I get the message:

 

EncFS Installed, but version is different.

Current version='' expected '1.7.2'

 

I am using UnRaid 4.5.6 and and from the unMenu About page unmenu.awk: Version 1.3 Revision: 139

 

I don't get the option to Re-Installed upon Re-Boot.  The only option is to "Install encfs-1.7.2-i486-1.tgz"

 

Thanks

 

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I am having trouble installing encFS.  I download and install but I get the message:

 

EncFS Installed, but version is different.

Current version='' expected '1.7.2'

 

I am using UnRaid 4.5.6 and and from the unMenu About page unmenu.awk: Version 1.3 Revision: 139

 

I don't get the option to Re-Installed upon Re-Boot.  The only option is to "Install encfs-1.7.2-i486-1.tgz"

 

Thanks

 

What do you get when you log in via telnet and type:

encfs

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It show the usage and options.  If I reboot the server I need to install the package.

I'm going to guess here... 

 

Try running this command (cut it and then paste it in a telnet session) and then refresh the package-manager page in unMENU

 

sed -i "sXTEST encfsXTEST /usr/local/bin/encfsX" /boot/packages/encfs-unmenu-package.conf

 

Does the version now show in the package manager?

 

Are you starting unMENU in the "go" script?

 

I am guessing that /usr/local/bin is not in the search path when unMENU is invoked in the "go" script if you can then see the version properly after running the "sed" command which edits the line in the .conf file to use a full path in the PACKAGE_VERSION_TEST line.

 

I can fix that in the .conf file in the next version but you can also add a line above the one where you start unmenu like this adding /usr/local/bin to the search path.

 

PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin

/boot/unmenu/uu

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

Hi, im interested in enCFS for my unRaid server, couple questions:

 

1. Can i install enCFS without unMenu? (assume i can just install the packages from somewhere), if so wheres/whats best location to get latest version?. I am running 4.5.6 v of unRaid.

2. If i install a newer version of unRaid, assume ill need to re-install the enCFS package after that? (ie move to v5.0/4.7)

3. Anyone tested (as per previous threads) use/recovery of enCFS with deleting the secrets file (ie is it recoverable), and any issues with the encrypted data spanning multiple drives, and if so is it also recoverable on drive failure (assume so given parity drive etc).

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Ost.

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Hi, im interested in enCFS for my unRaid server, couple questions:

 

1. Can i install enCFS without unMenu? (assume i can just install the packages from somewhere),

Yes but this response is as much as I can offer... you are on your own.  It requires three other libraries not normally installed on unRAID before it will work.    unMENU's package manager will doownload and install those for you, but since you don't want to use it, you are on your own.
if so wheres/whats best location to get latest version?.
"http://www.arg0.net/encfs
I am running 4.5.6 v of unRaid.
Don't think that matters

2. If i install a newer version of unRaid, assume ill need to re-install the enCFS package after that? (ie move to v5.0/4.7)

It needs to be re-installed every time you reboot., so yes, if you install a new version of unRAID you'll need to re-install it.

3. Anyone tested (as per previous threads) use/recovery of enCFS with deleting the secrets file (ie is it recoverable),

Look to their forum. It is not an unRAID product.  If you lose the secrets file I don't think there is any way to get the data back as part of the encryption relies on the public part of the key in it.

Specifically, their web-page says:

The control file contains the filesystem parameters, in addition to encrypted key data which is different for every filesystem.. You need both the password and this control file in order to access the data. If you loose either one, there isn’t anything I can do to help. Your password should be considered important data. If you’re not sure you can remember it, then back it up (in a secure manner – either in a password keychain program, or in a secure location)

and any issues with the encrypted data spanning multiple drives, and if so is it also recoverable on drive failure (assume so given parity drive etc).
Since a single file in unRAID cannot span disks, an encfs cannot span disks but I think you can have more than one encfs... one per physical disk.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Ost.

Let us know how you do. 

 

Joe L.

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and any issues with the encrypted data spanning multiple drives, and if so is it also recoverable on drive failure (assume so given parity drive etc).
Since a single file in unRAID cannot span disks, an encfs cannot span disks but I think you can have more than one encfs... one per physical disk.

 

I think he's getting at using encfs at the user share level, to effectively have your encrypted data spread over the disks according to your user shares setup.

 

This does work and as long as you keep your secrets file secure (as Joe L has mentioned) you should be fine.

 

I tested :

 

- Encfs data spanning drives with user shares. All behaved as normal

 

- Removing secrets file. Recovery of data not possible (or at least not trivially / in no documented fashion)

 

- Removing individual encrypted copies of files (ie to simulate a drive failure) and then re mounting encfs. Worked ok, but with the loss of the deleted files as you would expect.

 

So it seems to behave as would seem logical. But the secrets file is still all important. Performance at this point is fairly terrible though alot of that could be attributed to my cpu.

 

Fuse (encfs) on top of fuse (user shares) doesn't help though.

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and any issues with the encrypted data spanning multiple drives, and if so is it also recoverable on drive failure (assume so given parity drive etc).
Since a single file in unRAID cannot span disks, an encfs cannot span disks but I think you can have more than one encfs... one per physical disk.

 

I think he's getting at using encfs at the user share level, to effectively have your encrypted data spread over the disks according to your user shares setup.

 

This does work and as long as you keep your secrets file secure (as Joe L has mentioned) you should be fine.

You will want to back it up elsewhere...  It is critical to you ever seeing your un-encrypted data. (That and your encryption password)

I tested

 

- Encfs data spanning drives with user shares. All behaved as normal

 

- Removing secrets file. Recovery of data not possible (or at least not trivially / in no documented fashion)

It is not my statement... It was quoted from the encfs web-site.  I doubt there is a way to recover if you lose either the secrets file, or your encfs password.

- Removing individual encrypted copies of files (ie to simulate a drive failure) and then re mounting encfs. Worked ok, but with the loss of the deleted files as you would expect.

That would be simulating a two drive failure... A single drive failure would have unRAID simulate the files on the failed drive.  However, if your "secrets" file was on one of the two failed drives, and you had no backup copy, forget it.

So it seems to behave as would seem logical. But the secrets file is still all important.

Correct.
Performance at this point is fairly terrible though alot of that could be attributed to my cpu.

 

Fuse (encfs) on top of fuse (user shares) doesn't help though.

It is very intense on the CPU.  And, as you said, going through the FUSE file system twice does not help.

 

Joe L.

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  • 1 year later...

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